Finding Memories
by zoepeanut
Summary: In Fiore, the war with the Alvarez Empire has ended, leaving wizards and non-wizards in a world of peace for the time being. Zeref is gone, and there is nothing to fear anymore. However, Edward is dragged into their world after finishing his own war, ending up in Ishgar on his journey to research Alchemy in other nations. Sequel to Forgotten Past, please read that story first!
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail or Fullmetal Alchemist

It was windy out, rustling through the golden hair of a short young man as he stood on the deck of a boat, gazing out thoughtfully at the dark waters below. Waves crashed against the wooden sides of the small ship, rocking it and the two people within as they traveled towards their destination. The young man stood tall, his pony tail blowing behind his back as he focused on just what lay ahead of him. He had journeyed far, searching more and more into alchemy and doing his best to aid other countries suffering because of the science, and now, it was time to return home. He had been back a few times over the past few years, but his search never ended. Al and Winry would be in Resembool, waiting for him, that was something he was certain of after his most recent journey in search of information.

Steering the ship was a silent woman, a dark violet cloak covering her body and her head. The only thing visible when Ed first met her was a wisp of white hair, straying out just beyond the hood of her cloak. Like most people, she was taller than the ex-alchemist, but she seemed knowledgable and her price for travel to Amestris had been quite reasonable. Thus, Edward had found himself on her ship, traveling back to his home country after the time he had spent away.

"Hey, are we getting close yet? I don't remember it taking this long for me to get out of Amestris." Edward complained, bored of just standing in a boat and waiting for this trip to end. Even with the wind pushing them forward strongly, it was beginning to get cloudy, rumbling off in the distance as a sign of a storm on its way.

The sailor simply smiled at him, an expression hidden underneath the darkness of her hood as she turned towards him. "Have patience, we shall be arriving at our destination shortly." she declared, while Edward sighed, leaning against the edge of the boat with a look of annoyance on his face. These trips were interesting once he arrived at a country, but he always hated the travel. Without Al with him, there was nothing to do to entertain himself, and he wasn't nearly tired enough to sleep the entire time.

Off in the distance, Edward could just barely make out the sight of land, something that made him stand up a bit straighter, interested now that he could see their destination. The faint image of land was in front of them, nothing but an outline at this point, but it would soon grow to have details of buildings and trees, as well as a port at which to land. "I see it! Man, you weren't kidding, we really were close to Amestris." Edward stated, realizing that he had complained for nothing. Maybe he should apologize to the girl, but at the moment, he just didn't feel like it. He was looking forward to seeing Winry and eating her apple pie, with Al by his side once more. Just imagining the smell of it made his mouth water, eager for food and his friends as the boat made its way closer to the port.

"Amestris, did you say?" the sailor commented, making Edward frown, turning towards the girl. "Well, I must admit, it is a strange name for a country. I have never even heard of such a land before." she added, this time leaving Ed staring at her with wide eyes.

"Wait, what? You said you were taking me there! Damn it, just who the hell are you anyway?" Ed demanded, angry for the deception. He had stepped forward, closer to the girl with his arms crossed over his chest, a stern expression on his face as he glared over at the sailor. She stood her ground, however, standing calmly and confidently before him as the boat stopped, docking at the harbor nearby and leaving them staring each other down at the port, with a few onlookers staring into the ship with frowns of confusion.

The sailor stepped out of the boat, grabbing Edward's shirt by the collar to drag him out after her. He stumbled a bit, unprepared for her to be so forceful or for her to have any kind of strength at all. "That is unimportant, for I have a mission for you instead." she insisted, pulling down her hood as she turned towards him with a smile.

Edward was surprised by what he saw. Based on the strands of white hair Ed had seen before, he had expected to see an elderly woman underneath, frail and weak. Instead, she was young, and her hair was actually quite short, framing her face perfectly in a bob cut with blue eyes. "It took me a while to figure this out, to discover how to use the magic of this world." she stated calmly, her hand outstretched towards Edward, her arm remaining covered by the cloak she still wore.

Edward was beginning to realize that this girl was a threat, that he had to get away from her and find a weapon to fight. He hadn't expected to meet any enemies, not so soon. His last country had been a peaceful place, they hadn't even heard of alchemy and welcomed him with open arms. Edward could not think of a single action he had performed that would have resulted in an enemy, but it seemed as if he had missed something along the way. "Magic, are you insane? There's no such thing as magic, stop with this stupidity and just tell me what's going on!" Ed demanded, grabbing her arm and shoving her back, seeing nothing happen.

The girl collapsed on the ground, falling back and bracing the fall with her arms, scraping her skin as she barely managed to keep her back from colliding with the wooden ground of the deck they stood on. People jumped out of her way as she fell, looking only mildly surprised at the start of a fight in the harbor. "You are the one ignorant of this world, then." the girl claimed, sitting up slowly. She began to straighten her cloak, which had fallen open from her fall, revealing a short, form-fitting black dress underneath. Now covered once more, the girl rose to her feet and stared directly into Ed's eyes, not backing down quite yet.

Edward prepared to dodge as her hand was raised once more, but no weapon appeared, nor did she move to hit him like he thought she would. These people were insane, believing magic was real when it broke all the rules of science and alchemy. He might not use that skill anymore, but he knew that it was impossible to gain something without giving something in return. "My specialty is Entrapment Magic, it allows me to trap my opponent in any cage I deem fitting for them. Your cage is this country, Edward Elric, and it will remain so until you complete the job I have for you." the girl insisted.

Edward laughed at her words, seeing this as just some cruel joke. Something strange shot out of her hand just as he began laughing though, a dark blue light that surprised Edward. It flew through the air, almost moving like water would in a river, rushing quickly towards Edward and surrounding his body. It wasn't a painful experience, but it was a terrifying sight to see, as Edward held his hands out in front of his face to make sure he wasn't just imagining this. Blue lights surrounded his skin, dancing along it before focusing on the back of his hand, a dark blue mark remaining that made Edward's eyes widen. It looked like a bird cage, a dome shaped icon with bars locking away the emptiness inside.

"What the…what the hell was that? That's…it's just not…." Edward began, backing away slowly. He didn't notice that he was still standing at the edge of the dock, about to fall off until he felt something sting his hand, a burning sensation that made him scream and fall forward towards the ground. That mark, the one on his hand, was causing this scalding pain to his hand, and it was spreading quickly. As soon as he fell on the dock, however, the pain vanished as if nothing had happened, leaving Edward staring at the mark with wide eyes.

The girl gazed at him sadly, looking rather upset with him as she glanced down at him. "I am sorry for this, I never wished to harm you, but I still need your help." she insisted, kneeling down before him. "You see, I am not from this world, in fact, I never should have come here in the first place. My name is Lisana, and I need you to destroy the one responsible for trapping me in this world. His name is Zeref, and I will not rest until he is destroyed along with everyone he has ever cared about."

Edward glanced up at her, before shakily pushing himself up off of the ground. As soon as he was back on his feet, he began running his hands over his pants, getting the dust off of himself as he focused back on the girl in front of him. "Why me? I get it, you need help, but why pick a stranger for the job? Sorry, but I don't follow orders well, and I'm not a huge fan of yours, Witch." he stated, hating that he had to acknowledge her power over magic. The cloak may have hidden a philosopher's stone, but even with one, a transmutation like this simply wasn't possible. You couldn't just force the body's nerves to send pain signals at will, when crossing a certain barrier. That was why he knew that this girl was aware of some other form of power, something similar to alchemy yet different in every way.

Lisana nodded towards him, looking sad as she turned towards town, walking forward without even looking to see if he was following behind her. Seeing that she was moving, Edward quickly began to catch up, looking irritated with this girl for her mysterious attitude and actions. "Everyone here is a stranger to me, regardless of who they appear to be. You seemed a lot like me, though, searching for a way home to a place that no one knows exists. Amestris, that is a country I have never once heard mentioned in this world, so I assumed you must have been brought here like I was, torn away through a portal and taken to an entirely different world." she explained.

Edward's eyes were wide as he stared at her, wondering just what she could be talking about. There couldn't be another world out there, it just didn't make sense. No evidence had been seen of other dimensions, at least, not that he was aware of. Even if he considered the place he went during his human transmutations, it wasn't somewhere that anyone could come out from, and it definitely wasn't a place anyone would want to return to. "Yeah right, like I'd believe that load of crap. Tell me the real reason, or I'm gonna find my own way out of this place." Edward insisted, watching the girl stare at him with wide eyes.

"But…I'm telling you the truth." she whispered, looking like she was on the verge of tears. Water was welling in her crystalline eyes, making the blue in them seem even deeper than before. "My family thinks I'm dead, I fell off of a cliff and was saved by the portal! Even with my life saved, all I wanted was to go back. I begged him to do so, the man that brought me here. All he would tell me was that his experiment had failed, and he left without another word." she insisted, now on the verge of sobbing. "It took me years to even find his name, the name of the wizard who brought me here, and after everything I learned, I know he has to be stopped! Everyone thinks he is dead, but I know better!" she shouted, practically in Edward's face as she stepped closer to him with every statement of her tirade. Her hands had reached out, gripping Edward's shoulders tightly and making the ex-alchemist a bit uncomfortable, wanting her to step back and give him some space at least.

She still did not do so, pleading with him as she gazed into his eyes, looking absolutely miserable. Edward didn't really know what to do, though, still lost on just what she wanted from him. Sure, finding this Zeref guy was one thing, but Edward still had his own morals. He would not take away anyone's life, regardless of what they had done or how evil they may be. "Uh, right. Well, that's nice and all, but maybe we should just calm down a bit, get some rest and—" Edward began, patting her head and trying to get her to at least calm down slightly.

His words seemed to backfire, the girl's sad expression turning into one of anger as she glared at him, slapping his face and cutting him off. "Shut up! I'm not crazy, I'm telling you the truth! I was there, when he died, I saw him come back. They were both gone, vanishing from sight as they died, and everyone left, thinking the war was over." she was saying, making Ed wonder just what had happened. There had been a war going on, one he hadn't even heard of. Just where was he anyway? "I stayed, though, and watched as they came back. They looked as if nothing had happened, and they were actually smiling, as if they had won. I can't stand thinking of that look on his face….the fact that he got a chance to be happy, while I am stuck here, suffering and alone." she insisted.

Edward sighed, letting his hands drop to his side as the girl still directly in front of him, her face just inches away from his even though she had released him. "So, let me get this straight. In order to find this Zeref guy, you are trapping someone away from their home, and forcing me to go through all of this crap too? That doesn't make any sense! How is it any better if we're both miserable and stuck in this stupid place!" Edward demanded, watching as Lisana blinked in surprise, before leaning back and glancing at the ground. Her right arm wrapped over her stomach, reaching to grab her left arm which hung loosely at her side. To Edward, it simply looked like a bulge in her cloak, slightly parting the front of it and revealing a slight hint of skin underneath.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." she whispered, her lose hand slowly clenching itself into a fist beneath her cloak. "Still, I can't free you, not when I sense so much power within you. I can just feel it, that you are the only one capable of finding him for me. Please, I'm begging you, find Zeref and help me end this suffering!" Lisana begged, her eyes now dry as she gazed into his own. Her expression remained sad and pleading, desperate for help from anyone.

Seeing that look, Edward couldn't help but think of his own past, of back when he thought he had lost everything himself. He had done some stupid things as a result, attempting to break the laws of alchemy and then again when he gave up part of his own body to keep Al by his side. While he did not regret either decision, Edward knew that there had been better paths to follow, other ways to deal with grief. This girl was just looking for her own way, desperate to get her family back just like he had been. "Alright, I'll help you." Edward said at last, watching the girl's expression transform. Her eyes widened and the corners her mouth lifted ever so slightly, hopeful over Ed's words. "But, I have one condition. I refuse to kill Zeref, or anyone else we encounter on the way to him. All life is valuable, even if the guy is the biggest asshole the world has ever seen, he deserves to live."

Lisana smiled brightly then, walking over cheerfully and clinging to Edward's arm as she dragged him deeper into the city. "Great! Then come on, I've got so much to show you! Right now, we're in Hargeon, but the real fun happens when we get to Magnolia. That's where Fairy Tail is, oh, but I almost forgot! I can't show my face there, that's where the other me is!" Lisana was saying, her words going on and on, only leaving Ed more confused than ever. Even so, Edward found himself strangely liking this girl, rather friendly now that she wasn't attacking him. Maybe this job wouldn't be as much of a pain as he originally thought. He just hoped Winry didn't kill him when he got back, considering how late he was going to be now. Edward couldn't help but shudder at the thought, just imagining the feeling of a wrench colliding with his head as he entered the door of his home.

 **I'm back! After so many requests for this story to continue on, I've created a sequel. I don't plan on this being as tragic as the original, and but it will be a little bit longer. For anyone interested, I've created a Facebook page to keep everyone up to date on my writing. Updates for my stories still come based on number of reviews, so let me know what you think if you want to see quicker updates!**


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fullmetal Alchemist or Fairy Tail

Edward was rather irritated with this job of his, after only a few days. Lisanna had dragged him all around this place, a kingdom she called Fiore, showing him magic shops and guilds where apparently wizards went to get jobs. This Fairy Tail place seemed to have some kind of meaning to her, but it was lost to Edward as they now stood within a massively crowded street. Some kind of celebration was going on, and Lisanna insisted on going to search for clues as to Zeref's whereabouts. She was back to wearing her cloaks, though, even if she believed that the crowd would hide her pretty well.

Ed was watching with slight distaste as a group of people went insane at their table. One guy was shoving handfuls of food into his face, eating faster than Edward thought was possible, while the cat by his side did the same. Standing near the table wasn't anyone better, a guy who stood in nothing but his boxers while a blue-haired girl watched with a blush coloring her cheeks. Even if this was a celebration, these people were going overboard, acting childish and rambunctious as the others talked in small groups. Many were even commenting about that group, while Lisanna seemed to do her best to avoid them.

"Those are the Fairy Tail wizards, at least, the ones from this world." Lisanna explained as they walked past the rambunctious table. As they passed, Edward had to jump back to avoid the two boys that were sent flying. Glancing over, Edward stared at a woman in slight fear, with scarlet hair who had delivered such a harsh kick. Something about her made him think of his teacher, she was almost as scary as that woman. With a slight shudder, Edward walked past, doing his best to avoid angering that woman like the two poor men now sprawled out painfully on the ground.

Lisanna giggled slightly at the sight, shaking her head as she kept moving through the crowd. "Are all of your friends absolutely insane? I mean, I get having fun every now and then, but these guys are just crazy." Edward asked, while Lisanna nodded in agreement.

"A little, though I'll admit, they're worse over here than they were back home." she commented. Edward still got confused every time she mentioned this other world of hers, a place she called Edolas, but he had decided to just go with it a while ago. His rules had been shattered so much already, and nothing made sense to him anymore. Equivalent exchange wasn't the only law of the world, there was magic that broke that. If that was possible, it wasn't too far of a stretch to believe in this other world Lisanna spoke of. "Natsu back home wasn't this rowdy, he was actually pretty sensitive and afraid of others. To be honest, it was actually Lucy and Levy getting into most of the fights at my guild. It's refreshing to see them getting along for once, even if it isn't the friends I know."

Edward gazed around at the crowd, his arms crossed over his chest. This entire place seemed like a bust to him, with everyone far more concerned about this Lucy chick for winning some special award. "Man, this is just going to be another waste of our time, isn't it? When are you going to bring us an actual lead, Lisanna? I can't stand all this waiting around, I've gotta get home to Al!" Edward complained after a few more minutes of just wandering around through the crowd.

"You don't like my way of doing things?" Lisanna said, sounding rather upset. Edward was about to take it back, noticing that he had hurt her feelings, but it was a bit too late. "Fine, then look for Zeref on your own! I'm going back to the hotel, find me when you realize just how helpful I actually am to our team." she complained, crying as she ran off.

Edward sighed, shaking his head at the overly emotional girl he managed to find himself attached to. His hand ran through his hair, before he paused for a moment, holding his arm out in front of his face again and staring at the mark still visible on his skin. That girl was keeping him trapped here, something that was becoming harder and harder to remember the more he spoke with her. She was friendly and kind, and Edward wanted to be her friend, but at the same time, she was keeping him from what truly mattered to him. He might not want to hurt her, but he definitely wanted to get away from Lisanna at the moment.

That was what he was thinking when he began walking forward again, his hands now shoved into his pockets as he decided this place was not worth his time. He would find a library, and research more about this Zeref person. If he could understand their enemy, then Edward would be able to predict his movements and ultimately track him down. That was his plan, until he ran directly into someone, stumbling backward as he raised his fist threateningly at the person. "Hey, watch where you're going, you little—Lisanna?" he stated, seeing just who it was in front of him at the end of his shout.

The girl blinked at him in confusion, before smiling brightly and giving him a slight wave. "Uh, I'm sorry, but I don't remember meeting you. Are you a fan of Fairy Tail? I'm guessing you saw me cheering for our guild during the Grand Magic Games a few years back." she stated, watching as Ed shook his head slightly, realizing what was going on. This girl was the other Lisanna, the one from this world that still had her family.

Edward awkwardly smiled at her, taking her response as a way out from his own stupid comment. He couldn't believe he hadn't seen it sooner, with the way this Lisanna dressed. It was a simple dress, a light purple color that covered her body down to her ankles with some kind of ruffled pink fabric decorating the bottom edge. "Uh, yeah, that's it! I definitely knew you because of Fairy Tail, and those game things, not for any other reason at all!" Edward insisted, rubbing the back of his head while he smiled a bit too brightly. "Anyway, you probably don't want to be bothered by a fan like me, so I'll just be on my way!" Edward added, trying to slip away just as something caught his eye.

The members of the guild seemed to have gone silent, all of them turning with looks of shock and fear on their faces towards two individuals among the crowd. Edward had no idea who they were, this young girl with blond hair reaching her ankles, and a boy with short black hair, dressed entirely in a black suit with a white bag over his shoulder. The girl's short dress revealed something about her, however, the fact that she seemed to have forgotten to wear shoes.

The reaction of the others made Edward himself wary of them, though. People didn't get looks like that for no reason, and from what he understood, there were few enemies in this place that Fairy Tail would actually fear. "I'm Arleos." the boy had stated, something Edward caught as he attempted to sneak closer to them.

In order to avoid detection, Edward ducked underneath a table to listen as they continued. "I'm Mio." the girl replied, introducing herself as well. Things were looking normal to him, at least, and hearing those names calmed the others. Still, something about this didn't feel right to Ed, and for some reason, he felt as if he recognized these two before him. It was a strange sense of deja vu, but he couldn't place their faces at all.

Edward came out from under the table, hearing a few people let out noises of surprise at his sudden appearance. A few of them even called him one of the crazy Fairy Tail wizards, somewhat amusing since he couldn't even use magic. "Yeah right, like I'd ever be like them." he commented to himself, before moving forward after the boy and girl. He stopped them just as they reached the edge of the crowd, grabbing onto the edge of the boy's suit jacket to get his attention.

The man stopped, turning back towards Edward with a look of confusion on his face. "I'm sorry, can I help you?" he asked, before his eyes widened ever so slightly. It wouldn't have been noticeable to most people, but Edward was good at catching small details. There was something going on here, and he was determined to get to the bottom of it somehow.

Edward crossed his arms over his chest, smirking at the couple in front of him. "Hell yes, you can. Why don't you tell me why those people over there are afraid of the very sight of you? They seem like a capable bunch to me, after all." Edward insisted, pointing back towards the Fairy Tail wizards who had gone back to celebrating once more.

Mio grabbed the man's arm gently, looking somewhat nervous as she stepped closer to the man. "Uh…I'm sorry, but we don't know…we've never actually met…" she began, sounding just as nervous as she looked.

Edward shook his head at her, focusing on Arleos instead of the girl. "I wasn't asking you, girlie, I was talking to your friend. After all, he's the one who is sending chills through my spine right now. Something about you just isn't sitting right with me, and I intend to find out just what it is." Edward insisted. True, the girl did seem familiar to him, but it wasn't anything like the feeling he got about Arleos. That man, seeing him made Edward think of death for some reason, and that put Edward on edge regardless of what was going on around him.

Arleos gave Edward a small smile, inclining his head ever so slightly before speaking to him. "I suppose I simply have one of those faces. Many have claimed to view me as their enemy in the past, it is not uncommon to see others do the same." he stated, before turning to leave. "You claim to view me as an enemy, but tell me, do you truly recall meeting me before?" Arleos added, stopping after taking only one step, keeping his back turned towards Edward with that final question.

The girl stood on her toes for a moment, seeming to whisper something to Arleos before Edward replied. Those two were weird, especially considering they had just met. Edward almost would have called them a couple already, with the way they acted around each other. "Well….not exactly. That still doesn't mean you can be trusted, though! How do I know you didn't mess with my head? I know this place is filled with that magic crap, how do I know that someone didn't use it to alter my memories?" Edward insisted, feeling confident that he finally found a potential answer.

Then again, his smile faded when he realized that his words just might actually be true. Would he even know if someone had taken away a memory like that? Edward thought he would, but for some reason, he wasn't so sure. Was it possible for someone to make him forget about Al? To make him forget about Winry? The thought sent a wave of fear through the ex-alchemist, one that left him frowning as he gazed into Arleos' eyes, who looked rather sad as he focused on Ed.

The man truly did seem upset about something, hesitating to speak before Mio stepped forward. "Arleos is not a wizard, nor am I. We are incapable of doing such a thing, regardless of what we wish to do." she insisted, but Edward didn't know who to trust. This place was full of strangers, and weird people who imprisoned their friends just to find a way back home. It made Ed's head hurt just to think about how many problems he found in this country, and none of them were related to alchemy like he had expected to find.

Arleos nodded in agreement, his gaze turning upwards ever so slightly, staring at the night sky above their heads. The party continued on behind them, but at the moment, there was tension building right in this moment. "There are others capable of such a feat, however. I will not tell you a lie, Edward Elric, for you have done so much more for me than you realize. We have indeed met before, but ultimately, my path only brings pain for those I care about." Arleos stated, while Edward began to glare at him in response.

"Stop talking in riddles, damn it! Just tell me who you are? What the hell do you mean by all of this?" Edward demanded, anger being his fallback whenever things began to worry him. If someone was threatening his very mind, Edward would fight back with everything he had. He didn't care if it seemed insane or illogical, it was simply the only thing he could do in this situation. Edward was the only person to stand up to Truth and get back their payment from the Gate, so he had to be capable of reversing whatever magic had been worked on his mind.

Arleos shook his head, sighing as he turned to leave. "I'm afraid I can't tell you that. After all, you've seen just how the others reacted to my appearance. Tell me, how do you think they'd feel if they learned my true name?" he asked Edward, leaving before the ex-alchemist could reply.

Edward stood in that spot after Arleos and Mio left, his eyes wide as he tried to determine just what to trust. Was his mind truly safe at all? Glancing down at the mark on his hand, Edward began to feel as if this place was more than just one type of prison for him. Not only would his body remain trapped here and tormented by these people, but slowly, it would eat away at his mind until he no longer knew who he was or what was real.

 **Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! Here is an extra chapter to celebrate.**

 **For anyone who couldn't figure it out, this chapter is meant to take place during the final chapter of Fairy Tail, when Lucy finished her novel and is celebrating the award she received with the other wizards of Fairy Tail. Thank you to Shadowjab17 for the corrections, I have fixed the spelling of Lisanna's name for this chapter and I plan on going back to fix it in the first chapter later. As far as her magic goes, that will be addressed later on.**

 **Please review and let me know what you think!**


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail or Fullmetal Alchemist

Edward was exhausted by the time he returned to Lisanna, collapsing on the bed back at the inn they were staying at. The girl was low on funds, and Edward was not feeling all that generous towards her, so he was stuck sharing a room with her. At first, he had absolutely refused to do so, insisting that it was just wrong considering the relationship he had with Winry. Lisanna hadn't understood, however, and threatened to trap him in an even smaller area if he continued being stupid like this. Afraid of losing the limited freedom he had, Edward had acquiesced, thus finding himself in a small room with this stranger he had met only a week ago.

The room itself was fairly small, with a single bed taking up most of the space in the main room as you entered. A door was on the wall to the left of the exit, leading towards a small bathroom with white tiles and basic fixtures that Edward left alone. He did his best to avoid showering when possible, hating the hassle it took to avoid getting water trapped within the mechanisms of his automail leg. Still, he had to be clean and presentable, so he settled with showering once every other day.

Edward's place to sleep was the couch pushed against the wall, directly across from the bed which Lisanna had claimed for herself. Edward wasn't going to argue with that one, since she was paying for the room in the first place. As he sat down on the couch, his arms sprawled out behind his back on the top edge of the fabric, Lisanna sat up in the bed she was in. "Edward! You're back, I knew you'd finally realize that you needed me." Lisanna exclaimed happily, looking eager to continue in her own mission.

Edward scoffed at her words, glancing away as he hunched back over in the seat, crossing his arms over his chest. "Hardly, I just got sick of watching drunken girls sob while trying to strip. That chick was creepy, trust me." Edward replied, grimacing at the memory of walking past her on the street. Luckily, the stripping guy had woken up and taken her away, but he was just as disturbing as the girl had been.

Lisanna pouted, putting her hands on her hips as she stood up and faced him. "Is that so? Well, then you can just leave now. After all, I'm not paying for you to just sit around and do nothing, not when I still have tons of plans in mind." Lisanna insisted, but Edward didn't care too much. Even if she kicked him out of this room, he had other problems to focus on, specifically, his memory. That man had claimed that someone had tampered with it, that Ed had met Arleos before, but no matter how hard he tried, Edward simply couldn't remember a thing about the man. It was just a blank hum, nothing but a feeling of emptiness as he thought about the man's face. If anything, the only thing Edward could associate with the man was death, but it made no sense to the ex-alchemist. The guy had seemed rather harmless at that party, even if he acted a bit strange.

"Earth to Edward? Are you even listening to me over here?" Lisanna demanded, waving her hands in front of the man's face and finally getting him to blink and gaze over at her.

Lisana seemed to have taken off her cloak, Edward realized, and was wearing a tightly fitting black shirt, not quite covering her stomach and leaving her belly exposed. Her skirt wasn't that much more cover for her, a dark red color that fanned out just below her butt, covering only the necessary parts of her body to be considered decent for going out in public. "No, not really. Sorry, I've just got a lot on my mind right now." Edward told her, watching as the girl frowned in response, not accepting his decision to keep this from her. After all, it was his problem, Lisanna shouldn't care about what happened with this at the moment.

"Well, I suggest telling me exactly what is going on. After all, it always makes you feel better when you have someone to lean on." Lisanna insisted, sitting down next to him on the couch as she gave him a small smile. Her gentle face seemed to disagree with her revealing outfit at times, making her seem childish and innocent when she spoke like this but harsh and cruel when she was threatening those that brought her harm. "I did it before, telling you about my past, so it's only fair that you do the same with me." she insisted, trying another way of using logic on him when Edward remained silent.

Unaware of it, Lisanna had just used the first bit of logic that Edward could understand. It was an equivalent exchange, learning about her past in return for her knowing about his own. "Alright, I guess that makes sense. Don't take this the wrong way, though, you still are not my friend." Edward insisted, glaring at the girl who simply shrugged, looking interested in what Ed had to say. "I think…I think someone's tampered with my memory." he began, unsure of how to tell. His gaze was locked on his hands, leaning forward as he clenched them together in his lap.

"What do you mean? It's rather hard to tell if something like that has happened, Ed, so I'm guessing you're just imagining things." Lisanna insisted. "Wizards with capabilities like that are good at covering their tracks, from what I've learned anyway. You'd never even realize something was wrong with your mind if one did something like that to you." she insisted when Edward did not reply.

Still, Edward could not deny this feeling, the sense that he knew Arleos from somewhere other than last night. "No, I'm not imagining it." Edward said quietly, thinking back to the way that man spoke. Arleos wasn't even his real name, but he had claimed that they knew each other. Heck, Arleos claimed that he owed Edward for something, yet Edward could not recall doing a thing for that man. "Who was he? Damn it, why the hell can't I remember?" Ed demanded, standing up in anger as he threw his hands down, ready to storm out of the room.

Lisanna grabbed his arm, however, pulling him back just before he stormed off. "Wait! If you're upset, this isn't the way to deal with it." Lisanna insisted, giving him a small smile. "Being sad and pouting like that will only make those around you sad as well. Try to smile, and the longer that smile lasts, the brighter your mood will be." she insisted, while Ed just shoved her off, not wanting to hear this sappy nonsense.

Lisanna stumbled back slightly from Edward's forcefulness, looking hurt by his actions. Edward walked towards the exit, determined to leave before he hesitated, just for one moment. He still had not yet completed their exchange, after all. "I met a man who knew me, but I can't tell you a thing about him. He knew my name, and claimed he owed me, but as hard as I try, nothing except death comes to mind when I see his face." Edward said at last, pausing with his hand on the handle of the door.

Lisanna looked grim at his words, not expecting to hear more as Edward waited for her response. "That…that's awful. Tell you what, after we find Zeref, I promise, I will do everything in my power to help you find these missing memories of yours." Lisanna insisted, making Edward blink at her in surprise.

"Isn't your plan to go back home after finding that guy? Wasn't that your entire plan?" Ed demanded, watching the girl glance down uncomfortably, nodding ever so slightly.

"Well, I can wait a little longer. It's not like my family is going anywhere…and besides, I don't think I could have gotten any luckier than I did when I ran into you. Sure, I'm kind of forcing you to help against your will, but you are a nice guy and it's been a fun week with you so far." Lisanna insisted cheerfully, far too cheerfully in Ed's mind. She even acknowledged that he was her hostage, yet she still acted as if they were best friends! Edward could not believe this insane chick, and it made him scowl as he debated leaving or not. "I really do hope we can be friends when this is all over. Who knows, maybe you can join me in Edolas? It would get you away from all of this magic that you seem to hate so much." she offered, while Edward frowned, considering that option.

Then again, it wouldn't be the best idea. If there were doubles of everyone in this other world, then that meant that another Edward Elric existed as well. Leaving would mean abandoning his own brother here, just to escape a problem that had to be solved somehow. "No, that's not going to happen." Edward said, his words coming out a bit forcefully as he grew resolved in his decision. Lisanna looked upset, rather sad over his confident refusal of her request. "I have a brother to get back to, and Winry would kill me if I went and found trouble again while she couldn't help me." Ed explained, hoping to not offend the girl too much.

Lisanna gave him a small smile after his words, hesitantly stepping a bit closer to him. "I understand, I miss my family too. Speaking of which, do you think we can get back to work on finding him? Zeref is the only one who would know how to send me back, at least, he's the only person I can think of with the ability to do so." she stated, while Edward sighed, releasing the door handle at last and stepping back.

Staring over at the girl before him, Edward gave her a bit of a smile. Sure, he was still worried over everything he had learned, but fear had never stopped him before. Edward had destroyed the homunculus and Father, and now, he could face these wizards the same way. Even without Alchemy, Edward was strong and capable of fighting, he just had to find his enemy first. "Alright, sounds like a plan. Go ahead and get some sleep if you want it, I'm going to do some research." Edward told her, watching as Lisanna blinked at him in surprise.

"Research? How is that going to help us with anything?" she asked, while Edward sighed, wondering just how bright this girl was. She had her moments, and was very caring, but at times like this, Edward wondered if the girl was actually an idiot.

He shook his head at her, feeling his pony tail sway behind his head before replying. "In order to find and defeat your enemy, you must know them first. I've gotta learn more about this place, and about this Zeref if I'm gonna be fighting him." Ed insisted, watching as Lisanna gave him a small smile, shaking her head as she moved towards the bed.

"Well, good luck with that I guess. There isn't much to learn about Zeref that I haven't already told you. He's a wizard who uses black magic, and he's pure evil." Lisanna insisted, while Ed simply frowned, opening the door and waving as he left. There was more to it than she claimed, though, and plenty that Ed did not know. Understanding magic was becoming a basic necessity if he wanted to remain in this country, and studying black magic would be the key to learning about Zeref it seemed.

Edward moved quickly through the streets, staying as silent as possible in the night as he searched for a library of some kind. Most places appeared to be closed, the lights turned off and the doors locked, but Edward was determined to find one available to him. "Man, I've got so much to pack. I can't believe Natsu, taking us on a hundred-year quest with no warning like this. I have to prepare, and tell Levy, oh, and say goodbye to all of the others at the guild—" a girl was rambling on, walking down the street rather precariously balanced on a ledge by a canal running between houses.

Edward watched as she hopped off, smiling and walking towards a nearby building, stopping when she saw Edward. "Hey, I don't think I've seen you around the area here. Are you new to Magnolia?" the girl asked, smiling brightly at him as she stared at him with large, deep brown eyes.

Edward nodded in confirmation, not really wanting to talk too much this late at night. "I guess. I'm looking for a library, can you help me find one?" he asked, watching as the girl shook her head at him, looking somewhat amused with his question.

"A library at this time of night? Wow, you must like books even more than Levy." she commented, holding her hand out towards the boy with a smile. "I'm Lucy, by the way, wizard of Fairy Tail and the author of Iris' Adventure. I just won the prize for best author, it was absolutely amazing!" she insisted, bragging somewhat about her skills.

Edward didn't have time to hear about her story, though, not when he needed to find out more about all of this. The more time he wasted with Lucy, the more time he spent away from his family back home. "Who cares about your stupid book? I need research material, not some stupid fiction novel." Edward complained, watching the girl scowl at him and shake her head.

"You don't have to be so harsh about it. Is that any way to treat someone who was going to help you?" Lucy demanded, glaring at him. "Now, you can just forget about it! Go find someone else to show you to the library, you ungrateful creep!" she insisted.

Edward had no idea what made him a creep right now, he was just walking around town in search of a library. So what if he looked a little shady, this late at night wandering around people's homes and talking to random girls on the street? Wasn't that normal for most people during the day, to ask others for help if you were lost? Edward sighed, deciding he would never understand this issue as he walked away, turning around to avoid her home completely.

With as late as it was, Edward knew it would be unlikely for him to find anyone willing to help him. He was on the verge of giving up, deciding that maybe Lisanna would know where to go, when he saw someone on the street. They were sitting on the sidewalk together, a young couple gazing up at the sky together, unaware of the city around them. A white house sat just behind them, with a single tree in the yard, swaying gently in the breeze as Edward approached them. They didn't even seem to notice Edward staring down at the two, the barefoot girl and the jet black boy as they sat down on the ground just a few feet in front of Edward. Standing in place, Edward grew determined to learn everything he could about these two. Tonight, even if he could not find a library, he would discover the secret behind Mio and Arleos and who they were to him and his past.

 **I am half-asleep, so I'll keep my note short! Feel free to review and let me know what you think!**


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fullmetal Alchemist or Fairy Tail

Deciding this was the best way to learn anything about them, Edward remained silent and listened from Arleos' and Mios' sides, watching quietly as they spoke. "I never expected to see him again, Mavis. It seems as if he's found a way to retrieve his arm, but I still shudder to think of the price he may have paid." Arleos was saying, making Ed frown at the name.

Staring at the blond girl, Edward realized that she had lied about her identity as well. Mio did not exist, it was simply a made-up cover for both of them while they were out in public. "I understand, but we cannot interfere once more, Zeref. You know what will happen if we do. Fairy Tail will forgive many things, but they will never forgive the torment you put them through." Mavis stated, leaving Edward staring in shock at the man.

It just wasn't possible, for the man he could not remember to be the same person Lisanna was searching for. "No…you can't be…" he mumbled, unable to stay quiet after hearing just their names alone. It had been his intention to stay quiet longer, but this was too shocking for him to keep up the act.

Zeref turned towards him, his gaze calm as he focused on Edward. "From the look of his face, he has heard of your name before, Zeref. I assume we should prepare ourselves for battle then. If my memory of Edward is accurate, we have about an eighty percent chance of finding ourselves in a battle right here and now. With our current states, our chance of success lies around twenty five percent if we stand and fight, though our odds of escaping are much higher." Mavis stated, leaving Edward staring at her with his jaw dropped, unable to understand what she was going on about.

This girl made calculations like that without hesitation, not even pausing in her speech to move from one probability to the next. Zeref seemed to believe her every word, rising to stand next to her as he gave Edward a small nod, turning to leave. "Hold on a second, I'm not here to start a fight, damn it!" Edward shouted, chasing after the two of them as they began running through the streets. "Get back here, you bastard, I just want to ask you a question!" he demanded just a few moments later, weaving in between buildings to try and follow the sight if the man in the black suit.

Zeref continued running, however, leaving Edward feeling even more determined to win. This was going to be a challenge for him, one he had not had in a while now. He grinned as he ran through the streets, picking up speed as buildings flashed by his sides. When Zeref turned sharply into an alley, Edward followed, not even hesitating a moment with his steps. Edward was surprised by the sight of Mavis in the alley, the girl who had run in the opposite direction of both of them at first. "Zeref, I think we should stop." Mavis stated after a few moments, making Edward frown. She was the one who told him to run, and then disappeared herself even without her friend! "If he were planning on fighting us, we should have seen a sign of his alchemy by now. The fact that we have not tells me that he is at least attempting to be peaceful, which seems out of character for him." she added, sounding rather confused by Edward's actions.

Zeref, however, did not hesitate to follow her directions, stopping immediately and leaving Edward stumbling to halt his own path. He had not expected the man to stop so suddenly, and that was why Edward found himself colliding with Zeref, both of them falling over onto the ground below, with Edward landing on top of Zeref. "Well, it appears he still has the automail leg, even though his arm has returned. Tell me, Edward, just how did you accomplish such a feat?" the man asked, as if nothing had happened.

Edward scrambled to get back to his feet, pushing his hands against the ground by the sides of Zeref's head to get up. Zeref sat up calmly as Edward did so, not looking as if he planned on standing anytime soon. "I suggest sitting down. After all, this might take a while, if you want an explanation that is." Mavis stated, while Ed frowned, debating what to do. He could go home now, if he just brought Lisanna to them now. That would mean seeing Winry and Al again, seeing their smiles once more. At the same time, he would lose this, the piece of his past that seemed to be strangely absent from his mind.

Slowly, Edward found himself sinking to the ground, sitting with his legs crossed in front of the couple. "Alright, I guess I'll join you then. However, we need to get something straight. This is going to be an equivalent exchange, okay? I tell you about how I got my arm back, and then you tell me about how I know you, you got it?" he demanded, while Zeref chuckled softly, shaking his head at the boy.

"It seems you haven't changed in the slightest, Edward Elric. Always hot-headed, and too lost in the rules of alchemy to understand the world around you to its fullest." Zeref insisted calmly, gazing upward. "I accept your terms, but your explanation does not need to be long. I am simply curious to know what price you paid. After all, in alchemy, nothing comes without a price." he stated.

Edward frowned at that, gazing down at his hands before sighing, shaking his head slightly. "My alchemy." Edward said after a few moments, not wanting to get into the details of human transmutation if he did not have to. "I traded my alchemy for my arm, and for my brother's body." he finished, deciding that a little more was necessary to understand why the price had been so high.

Zeref stared at him with an unreadable look, just as calm as before. The only thing that changed was a slight narrowing of his eyes, and for some reason, that bothered Ed. He hated being unable to read people, especially ones this good at concealing their emotions. "I see. So, Alphonse is back as well, is he? Tell me, how is he doing?" Zeref asked, sounding genuinely concerned for the welfare of Ed's brother.

Edward was more concerned about how Zeref even knew his brother, after everything he had heard. This guy was supposed to be evil, responsible for trapping Lisanna in this world and tearing her away from her family. For some reason, Edward just couldn't see it though. Even if this man's face brought death to mind, Ed could not see anything other than sadness and a desire for happiness in his eyes. That was why he answered Zeref's question, despite everything he knew. "Fine, last I saw. I've been away from him for quite some time, actually. I was on my way back when—well, that's not that important I guess." Edward stated, sighing as he shook his head. "Anyway, now it's your turn. Tell me, just how did we meet?" he demanded, gazing harshly over at the man.

Mavis smiled at Edward slightly, laughing at his words. "Wow, he's really serious, isn't he, Zeref? I suppose it all started back when you were a child, but Zeref can tell the beginning better than I can. After all, I was only there in spirit for most of your childhood." she commented, while Edward frowned in confusion.

Zeref sighed, grabbing Ed's hand and making the ex-alchemist nearly jerk back in shock. He did not like being touched by strangers, not so casually. However, Zeref was intent on showing Edward something, a mark that Edward had only recently noticed on the back of his hand. Edward ignored what he saw when he first got his arm back, at first just seeing it as a strange birthmark of some kind, but now that he looked at it again, he suddenly realized he had seen this mark elsewhere. That guild in town, the one Lisanna had shown him, it had the same mark. "No…I'm not a wizard…I-I'm not even an alchemist anymore!" Edward insisted, pulling his hand back, slightly uncertain of what to think of this.

Zeref gave him a sad smile, nodding ever so slightly. "I suppose you are not, that skill was lost along with your memories. You see, at one point in time, I educated both you and your brother on how to use magic. I was the one who gave you that mark, to allow you to see Mavis as well." Zeref insisted.

Edward frowned at that, remembering Zeref's words from before. "Wait a second, you said you weren't a wizard! What the hell? Which story is true, can you use magic or not?" Edward demanded, feeling lost and confused. None of this made any sense to him, and he wanted to explode and hit something right now. The cement ground would only break his hand, and the wooden sides of homes would get him in trouble for breaking them. That left him with only one option, punching his own leg in anger over his own confusion and ignorance of the world.

Zeref leaned forward, gently grabbing Edward by his shoulders and staring into his eyes. "Calm down, Edward, I assure you, I have not spoken a single lie to you yet." Zeref insisted. "Just as you traded away your alchemy, I have traded away my magic." he insisted, leaving Edward wondering just how something like that would work. Magic didn't follow any rules or logic, it was alchemy's opposite in every way. Edward simply couldn't grasp how one could use it for an equivalent exchange of some kind, when magic itself had no limits or bounds.

Zeref seemed to smile as Edward thought, leaving Edward wondering just what was so amusing to him about all this confusion. "The gods enjoy my torment, Edward Elric, thus they offered me a deal of sorts. In exchange for my magic, they would allow me to live a normal life, a peaceful one without the pain and suffering I've grown accustomed to. You once understood my torment better than anyone else, along with your brother. That was all traded away, in your attempt to save me from myself." Zeref insisted, leaving Edward narrowing his gaze at the ex-wizard.

"So, magic is the price that can be paid to bring the dead back to life? Doesn't seem right to me, there's got to be more to it than that." Edward insisted, while Zeref sighed, gazing over at Mavis who nodded in response to their silent conversation. The two of them were so weird, Edward wondered how anyone could understand each other that well.

Mavis sat closer to them as Zeref pulled back, smiling over at Edward. "Perhaps not, but there is something else we traded away along with our magic. You see, before this trade of ours, Zeref and I had both been immortal. We sacrificed that, along with our magic, to be reincarnated into a new life. That day, Mio and Arleos were born, the same day Mavis and Zeref died. Neither of us wish to return to our past, Edward, it is far too painful for anyone to bear to live through again." she insisted, sounding rather upset with something.

Edward still felt lost and confused, wondering just who these people were. Lisanna claimed that Zeref was evil, but he claimed to have been Ed's teacher. Someone willing to help another learn more about the world, how could that be cruel and wrong? At the same time, immortality could only mean one thing. They had both been homunculus at some point, that was the only way either of them could have gained such a power. That knowledge made Ed wary, understanding that the price had been magic and a philosopher's stone for both of them. "So that's what happened. I think it's finally making sense to me now, just how all of this fits together." he stated, finally piecing it all together at last.

Zeref raised an eyebrow at the man, who stood with a look of anger as he pointed down towards the black wizard. "You two were homunculus! Just like back home, you destroyed this country and started a war for more power and to try and play at god. Luckily, you had this magic and a philosopher's stone to offer up when god came to punish you for playing his game." Edward insisted, while Zeref frowned, looking rather confused himself.

"Homunculus? To my knowledge, it was quite impossible for such a creature to exist. If you found a way to create such a creature, I suppose I should commend you as well as lend you my condolences. Those that tamper with the balance of life and death are not forgiven easily, Edward Elric." Zeref insisted, those words somehow sounding so familiar to Ed even if he did not remember where he had heard them before.

Mavis turned towards Zeref, shaking her head at him. "This will not work, we will not be able to force recall, Zeref." she warned, making Edward frown in confusion.

Zeref's slight smile faded away, turning sad and distant as he gazed away from both of them, towards the building just to their side in the alley. "Indeed, it will take another deal, another sacrifice to regain Edward's memories. Perhaps that is why Truth offered this to us, simply to torment us more with the fact that Edward nearly retrieved everything he sacrificed so long ago." Zeref commented sadly, sighing as he focused back towards Ed. "I suppose that is the true answer you wanted, though. We met long ago, back when you first attempted human transmutation. On that day, I came and stopped you from your foolishness, however, I could not stop you the second time. In the end, I was pulled into the Gate with you, and the price for my passage, was the memories of both you and your brother. Without something of equal value to them, you will never gain those memories back again.

 **Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all enjoyed the holidays and are having a nice time. I apologize in advance for this note, it is a bit longer than usual, but it relates back to my reasons for writing stories on this site.**

 **Sadly, I am slowly losing hope in** **fanfiction. I have a ton of ideas, don't get me wrong, but I am getting practically no feedback. Out of the eighteen stories I have, only one of them has gotten a review in the past...uh, I want to say maybe three weeks (I'm tired right now and don't want to do the math to determine just how many it has been)? I don't mean to try and beg for reviews (even though I know I kind of am with this note), because that can be annoying, but I am questioning if my ability to write has vanished over time. Am I improving? Do you hate the story? These are the questions that come to mind when I don't get feedback...and most of the time, I am far too critical on myself to feel good about my writing when no one leaves comments of any kind. This is exactly what happened with my first story, and the result is that it is now on a indefinite hiatus because I can no longer come up with the inspiration to write anything further in it. I won't leave a rant like this again in this story, but I just wanted you guys to understand my mindset when it comes to writing these stories. I was incredibly excited when I started this story, due to all of the positive feedback and requests for a sequel to Forgotten Past but now, I am losing the energy that I had when I started. So please, if you want my writing to have any kind of life to it at all (my writing sucks when I'm unmotivated), please give me some form of feedback! It is much appreciated.**

 **Sorry again for the rant, I really do appreciate having so many people read this story, I simply doubt my own talents as a writer and that is the reason behind such comments.**


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fullmetal Alchemist or Fairy Tail

Edward went back to the inn as the sun was rising, having spent the entire night speaking with Mavis and Zeref about his forgotten past. He still couldn't quite believe it, that someone had been with his brother and him during that transmutation. On top of that, Zeref had claimed that he stopped them due to his own experience with bringing the dead back to life. Edward wasn't sure if he believed that the guy could do that, but he wasn't going to argue with the man when Edward was about to collapse from exhaustion.

He still didn't know what to tell Lisanna now, not when Edward felt as if Zeref was an old friend of his. Sure, the guy had some strange quirks, but he was smart and willing to talk to Edward about almost anything. When it became obvious that Edward couldn't focus on talking about his past anymore, Zeref had quickly switched to another subject, talking about magic and how it functioned in this country. When that bored Edward, Zeref moved on once more, talking about the history of this land and the most recent war, between the Alvarez Empire and the guild of Fairy Tail over some treasure they called Fairy Heart.

Endless subjects were pounded into his brain in just a few hours of conversation. There was no way Zeref would be capable of doing such a thing, if he didn't know Ed well. That was why Edward wasn't sure of his next path as he collapsed on the couch, his arm over his face as he debated sleeping or not at the moment. Lisanna would want Zeref to suffer, but Edward simply couldn't bear to see that happen right now. That guy was the only key Edward had to his past, and he was determined to find a way to remember it himself.

Maybe Zeref could come up with something to trade for it, Edward thought. The guy seemed to understand alchemy to an extent, and with another great mind, Edward was sure he could come up with something. Hell, he had figured out a way to retrieve an entire body, how much more would it take for just a few little memories? Then again, those were a bit of a more abstract concept, Edward didn't know what the price would be. At the same time, there was a second problem he hadn't even considered thus far. How was he supposed to get there, without alchemy? He wasn't going to drag other people into his problems, but it was looking like the only option was to get someone else to perform human transmutation to open the Gate.

That was what left Edward sighing, feeling far too drained to do anything but sleep at the moment. Unfortunately for him, Lisanna was an early riser, though. He had just closed his eyes when he heard the sound her her yawning loudly, getting up and moving over to the couch with a grin on her face. "Time to get up, Ed! We've got a big day ahead of us." she said cheerfully, making the ex-alchemist groan in response.

"Go away, I'm not in the mood." Edward insisted, rolling over onto his side and burying his head in the back of the couch. It might not be all that comfortable, but Edward had slept in worse situations. That month he spent training on an island taught Edward to not be too picky about where he slept.

In response to Edward's attempt to sleep more, Lisanna decided to take more severe actions. Edward jumped upward when he felt water splash onto his back, soaking through his red cloak and making him glare over at the girl harshly. "What the hell was that for, Lisanna? Can't a guy get some sleep around here?" he demanded.

Lisana huffed at him, crossing her arms over her chest as she stared Edward down. "Not when he has work to do. It isn't my fault you stayed up all night reading useless books about Zeref. Anyway, all the libraries were probably closed by the time you left, so actually, you just spent all night walking through the streets didn't you?" Lisanna commented, while Edward continued scowling, stomping off towards the door.

"So? Who cares if that's what happened?" he demanded, still feeling the need to keep Zeref's location a secret. The man had agreed to meet with Edward again tonight, though it seemed like he was going to be sacrificing more sleep in order to do so. Either way, it would be a step closer to knowing just what was missing from his own head.

Lisanna laughed at Edward's irritation, finding it amusing rather than threatening. "Aw, Edward, you're so cute when you're angry. You're like a tiny little kitten, scratching at its owner." she insisted, unaware that she had said a fatal statement in the presence of the ex-alchemist.

Edward's steps halted as he turned towards her, his fists raised and swinging in the air as he stepped as close to Lisanna as he could get without completely smacking her with his waving arms. "Who are you calling smaller than a flea on a cat's back?" he yelled, while Lisanna backed away, a bit unsettled by Ed's outburst this time.

"Uh..I don't think I said anything like that…" Lisanna attempted, but the man was left grumbling in anger as they continued to leave the inn, walking out into the street where the sun was shining brightly above them. Magnolia truly was amazing this time of year, in the heat of summer as they moved on from the inn. "Anyway, I thought we'd go back to our roots this time. The last place I saw Zeref was at Fairy Tail, so that is where we have to go to search for clues." Lisanna insisted, putting her cloak back on and pulling the hood over her head.

Edward wasn't going to argue against it, not when he didn't have any better ideas. Leading Lisanna directly to Zeref just wasn't an option, not in his mind. As much as he wanted to get back home, it wasn't worth endangering someone who was slowly becoming Ed's friend. That was why the guild actually sounded even better to Edward, a place where he could learn about magic and potentially find someone to break this crazy lady's spell. That was his plan, anyway, as they walked through the somewhat busy streets of Magnolia, heading towards the guild that everyone in town knew.

Lisanna walked inside without hesitation, while Edward followed just moments behind her. Inside, people were gathering around a group of wizards, all of which were carrying bags and luggage of some kind. "Alright, I'm getting all fired up! Hundred-year quest, here we come!" the pink-haired boy shouted, the one with the smallest bag and an even stranger flying cat by his shoulder.

"Aye!" the cat agreed, stunning Edward even further. That was simply impossible, biologically cats did not have the necessary muscles for human speech. This creature had to be a chimera, there was no other option. At least this one seemed happy and pleased at the moment, but others weren't so lucky. Thinking of that, Edward shuddered at what was necessary to create a talking chimera, his mind thinking of Nina as he forced himself to focus elsewhere in the guild.

Still, that was a struggle to do, when everyone seemed focused on seeing this group off on their quest. "Good luck, Natsu! Show them just how much of a real man you are!" a tall, muscular man shouted, in a rather deep voice. Edward was rather surprised to see someone that actually looked stronger than Major Armstrong before him, though this guy likely wasn't as irritating as the man Edward remembered. At least, Edward hoped that was the case as he watched others cheering for the group.

"Everyone, we must focus on the mission ahead of us." another voice cut through, silencing most of the voices in the guild. Edward recognized this one, the scarlet haired woman from the party that had knocked two men out cold with one kick. "Our goal is to locate a long-forgotten relic, known only by its name, the philosopher's stone. Many have attempted this mission and failed, and no one even knows the purpose of this stone. Legend says it holds enormous magical capabilities—" she continued, making Edward's hands clench into fists, stepping closer to this group in the guild.

He couldn't believe this was here as well, even if it was just some stupid rumor. "Shut up." Edward said behind her, making the woman gaze over at him with a glare, clearly angry with being interrupted.

"Oh no, he interrupted Erza. Trust me, you don't want to mess with the great and powerful Erza." the talking blue cat warned, but there were more important things than his own safety to be worried over. Even if the cat was right, as he flew into the air above the tension filled room, Edward had to stop this.

Erza continued staring down Edward, who held her gaze and did not make any move to get out of her way. "Just who are you, and what business do you have with our guild?" she demanded, while Edward glared at her, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I'm the guy that's gonna kick your asses for even thinking about taking a philosopher's stone." Edward insisted, grinning over at the girl who simply raised an eyebrow at him. Behind her, the pink-haired boy looked excited, flames now dancing in his hands as he revealed his magic to Edward. That guy must be a lot like Mustang, then, though magic would be a bit more powerful than regular alchemy if it didn't have to follow the Law of Equivalent Exchange.

Behind the fire mage was the girl from last night, Lucy, holding him back by his collar as the dragon slayer attempted to get closer to join the altercation between Erza and Edward. "Is that so? Well, I will not hold back, not when our guild's honor is on the line. I will not tarnish our name, and we will not falter regardless of our enemy." she insisted, pulling out a sword as Edward grinned at her, standing ready to fight. He might not have magic or alchemy, but he had years of military experience that gave him the upper hand here, and would allow him to win this with ease.

With a grin on his face, Edward waited for her to strike, watching Erza carefully as she forcefully charged forward, her blade aimed towards Edward's chest. With nothing to block with, Edward dodged to the side, quickly using his surroundings to his advantage as he lifted a nearby bar stool, prepared to use it as a weapon for himself. Erza did not hesitate to attack again, though, not giving Ed the chance to attack as she slashed into the stool, slicing it to pieces at the floor by Ed's feet. "Foolish, to think that you could win without a weapon. Even the most skilled of wizards fall before me, yet you insult me by refusing to fight to your fullest strength." Erza insisted, looking deadly as she moved in for her next attack.

Edward could not lose, not with this on the line. Erza's sword came in from his left, making Edward duck backward to put his body underneath her blade. Deciding he had to take a risk, Edward reached up as she moved to pull her blade back, grabbing the blade tightly and pulling hard on the weapon. Erza seemed shocked by his actions, unable to believe that this boy had managed to free one of her swords from her grip.

Now with blood running down his hands, Edward pointed his blade towards Erza, who closed her eyes, a glowing light now appearing around her. Edward knew that this was magic of some kind, but he had not expected this. "I see, you seem to actually possess some measure of skill when your life is on the line. However, that will still not save you from my blades." Erza insisted, making Edward's eyes grow wide at the sight behind this armored woman, now dressed in a much more revealing set of armor that covered her chest, leaving her stomach bare as he legs were covered by a large skirt of armor.

"Oh, crap!" Edward shouted, seeing a massive amount of blades hovering in the air behind this woman. They all went flying towards Edward at once, blades of all sizes and shapes coming from once direction. Edward focused on the attack with all his might, the stolen blade lashing out in his hand to deflect the flying swords with speed and precision. The few he missed forced Edward to move, agilely jumping around the blades only for him to be off ever so slightly with the last sword. It pierced through his arm, making him gasp in pain and clutch his shoulder, grimacing as he removed the weapon from his skin. Blood poured down his red coat, as he noticed that it was already torn apart anyway. He'd have to ask Winry to make him a new one when he got back, since he could not longer just transmute one from red wool.

Taking it off, Edward stood to glare harshly at Erza, the woman who stared at him in shock. Taking off that jacket revealed Edward's shoulders, the massive scar that still remained from his time with the automail arm. The black tank-top he always wore left it revealed, a way to show enemies he was someone to be feared, who could handle any kind of pain they had to throw at him. "Nice sword work, but I have to admit, I've seen better. You've got nothing on Major Armstrong, and don't even get me started on his sister." Edward commented with a smirk, swinging his own blade around as Erza stared at the boy, clearly unsure of what move to make next. "If you want to keep going, that's fine, but my only goal here is to stop you from going after that stone you mentioned. I am not here to become your enemy, but I will do so if that's what it takes to protect this world from that cursed thing."

Erza stared at him a few more moments, before nodding and requiping back into her usual armor, walking forward with a slight nod. Around him, Edward only just noticed the damage he had done to their home, swords embedded within banisters and tables, while other tables were incapable of withstanding the force, shattered to pieces with the blades stuck in the floorboards. "Very well, I shall consider your words. Tell me, just why is this stone so dangerous? Perhaps then I will understand your words of caution." Erza demanded, sitting on by one of the few remaining unbroken tables in the guild.

With nothing else to do, Edward moved to join her. Around them, the guild members seemed to be staring at Edward with looks of shock over what was going on. He didn't quite get what the big deal was, but he did his best to ignore it. "No way….did that guy just take on Erza and win?" someone whispered from behind him, making Edward wonder just how strong this girl was in their eyes. Sure, Edward had stood his ground, but he hadn't even gotten a single attack in on the girl. She was strong, and Edward knew that the only way he could have stood a chance of winning was with alchemy, something he no longer possessed.

"So, the stone." Edward commented, gazing at the table as he thought of just how much he could tell her. "I can't tell you much, simply due to the danger of this information falling into the wrong hands." he warned, watching the woman nod with understanding.

"That is quite alright, any information you can give us would be beneficial. After all, it has taken other wizards over a hundred years simply to locate such an object, you are the first I've encountered who even recognizes the name." Erza explained.

Lucy stepped closer as they began to speak, frowning as she saw Edward. "Hey…wait a second, I know you! You were that creep outside my house last night!" Lucy insisted, glaring at Edward who just shrugged, not too concerned with the girl's hurt feelings.

Still, he disliked her insult and he wasn't going to just sit back and take it without fighting back. "I'm not a creep, idiot!" Ed insisted, before focusing back on Erza as Lucy stepped back, looking a little surprised with Ed's outburst. For some reason, the Lisanna Ed knew was nowhere to be seen, having vanished before the fight began. He couldn't find his friend, and it worried him in a place like this. Regardless, he had to focus on his own mission right now. "All I can really tell you is that a lot of lives are lost when making a stone like that. Anything you gain from one of them isn't worth it, the price is too high."

Erza frowned at this, not understanding Edward's warning. "I apologize, but that makes little sense to me. Lives are lost every day, during wars and jobs that become too dangerous for those taking them. How is this stone any different?" she demanded, while Edward glared at her, standing up and leaning closer to her face over the table.

"That stone…resulted in the mass genocide of every person within Ishval as well as all of the citizens of Xerxes. Entire countries have fallen victim to this stone, and you stand here, making a joke of it, treating it like some game. These are people's lives you're talking about, and I'm not just going to sit back and let you throw them away so casually!" Edward insisted, slamming his fist down onto the table in anger. He could not believe this girl, refusing to listen and take his warning seriously. The philosopher's stone was the reason he was here, the type of pain he was doing everything in his power to prevent as he studied alchemy around the world.

Erza saw the look in Ed's eyes, the mixture of pain and anger making her nod and stand calmly, gazing into his eyes with understanding. "I see. So, this is a magical object that causes death, much like lullaby. In that case, it must be stopped at all costs. My comrades and I shall destroy this object, this I promise you." Erza insisted, but Edward glared at her, shaking his head.

"No! You don't get it, none of you do! Just leave the stone alone, it isn't worth any of this pain!" Edward shouted, shoving Erza back as he prepared to fight this entire guild if he had to. Even if their bodies were lost, the souls of people still lived on within a philosopher's stone. Using it or even destroying it wasn't any better than killing someone, at least that's how Ed felt about such a thing.

Edward felt a hand rest on his shoulder, someone gazing down at him with a look of worry in her eyes. Lucy was there, shocking Ed as she gave him a small smile. "Look, I know we got off to a rocky start, but this isn't the way to work through things. I get it, you have something you want to protect, but sometimes, the only way to take care of things is to trust others and tell them what is going on. Please, explain it to us, why can't we do anything with the philosopher's stone?" Lucy begged, sounding quite reasonable to him.

Edward took a deep breath, gazing down at the table as he debated what to do. Maybe he would just tell them the basics, rather than the entire concept. After all, none of them seemed to understand alchemy at all, so it would be safe to assume that any knowledge of the stone would be linked to magic instead. "The stone is made of human souls, that's why." he told her, watching as Lucy stared at him with a look of horror, taking a step back slightly. "It grants you incredible power, sure, but that power comes from using the lives of thousands of others. It isn't anything to wish for, Lucy, nor is it something to destroy. How is destroying it any better than killing people off, when their souls are still alive somewhere deep within that stone?" he asked Lucy, when she did not reply.

"Aw, come on! I finally get permission to go on a hundred-year quest and this is the result? Man, I was hoping for a fight at least along the way!" the pink-haired boy complained, before a shirtless man came and smacked his head from behind, looking somewhat irritated with the fire mage.

"Knock it off, Natsu, that shouldn't be your issue here! That stone has to have existed at some point, if we've got a job concerning it. Just think about all of those people who lost their lives because of it!" Gray shouted, looking rather angry with it as he turned towards Ed. "No one should have anything to do with a black magic spell like that. My guess is that it's a forgotten spell of Zeref's." Gray insisted, crossing his arms over his bare chest.

"So, why did you come to our guild in the first place? Did you truly know about this job request of ours and come to stop it?" Erza asked, making Edward glance away, searching for Lisanna again. That girl had vanished, and he had no idea what was going on now.

"Uh…well, I was with my friend and she…" he began, a bit uncomfortable without her here to explain. After all, Edward had no need to search for Zeref, that was her mission. Then again, maybe this was his chance to ask for freedom. He hesitantly began to reach his cage-marked hand over to Erza, only to be interrupted when two arms wrapped around his neck from behind, yanking him back and nearly making him fall over onto the ground.

"Edward, there you are! Come on, silly, we don't have time for fights like this." she corrected, before smiling over at the others. "I had really hoped to avoid this, I didn't want to cause any confusion. After watching you for a while, though, I've come to learn that you are already aware of Edolas, though. I remember Pantherlily from back home, even if I didn't see him that often, he was a part of the royal guard that was hunting down Fairy Tail." she commented, pulling her hood down.

Edward heard the collective gasp from the others, seeing another Lisanna in the guild. "Lisanna….wait, so both of you were alive this entire time? How the heck did you two end up switching places then?" Natsu demanded, looking a bit upset over this.

Edward had no idea what he was talking about, but luckily Lisanna didn't seem to know either. "Wait, switched places? Are you saying that the Lisanna of this world is in Edolas?" she asked, while Ed shook his head.

"Nah, she's here. I ran into her at that party last night." Edward told Lisanna, watching the girl nod.

"Right, that isn't what I came here for anyway." Lisanna commented, focusing on the wizards once more. "I was looking for a way to get back home…after getting my revenge on the man who pulled me away from my own world and into this one." she stated, staring at them with a focused look in her eyes. "You know him as Zeref the Black Wizard, and even though you think he is dead, I know otherwise. I've seen him, alive and walking again, along with his companion." Lisanna insisted.

Lucy laughed at Lisanna's words, shaking her head at the girl. "You must be mistaken! Zeref's been defeated, that's why things have been so peaceful lately. You probably saw Mio and Arleos, they were at my celebration the other night. I was a bit shocked to see them too, they do look a lot like Zeref and Mavis, but they don't act a thing like the people I knew." she insisted.

Edward was doing his best to stay silent, gazing away from the others as Lisanna frowned, trying to determine what was going on. "That can't be….it has to be them. There's no way I was wrong, I saw them come back to life!" she insisted, before Gray scoffed at her words, his head turning away slightly.

"The dead don't come back to life, you idiot. No matter what kind of illusion you use on a dead body, it doesn't change the fact that it's gone, that it's heart has stopped beating." Gray insisted.

Lisanna gazed at him, looking rather determined to prove him wrong. "Then what about that book?" she asked, making the others in the room freeze. "I saw that during your little war too, the Book of END. Isn't that what is keeping your friend alive? The very thing that brought him back to life?" she demanded.

Edward was rather interested in this bit, wondering just how magic had succeeded where alchemy had failed. Did someone figure out how to bring back the dead and succeed? Based on Lisanna's words, someone had, but Edward had no idea who. "That…that can't be. The dead…you can't bring them back, it's impossible." Edward said at last, unsure of how to believe in such a thing. He had figured it out before, that the soul could not be retrieved once it left the body. It simply could not be done, but the people around him were avoiding his gaze, looking uncomfortable with this subject at the moment.

"Yes, Lucy did alter the Book of END to save our comrade's life, however, that does not mean such a thing occurred for Zeref during our war. The First Master sacrificed everything to destroy him, and save our guild." Erza argued, staring harshly over at Lisanna who was still not giving up. Edward wondered how that girl could be so persistent, when it was clear that these people just would not listen to her words.

No one answered Ed's question either, leaving him scowling as he turned away, focused on the door of the guild as the others kept talking. "Erza…right, you're part of the guild in this world. Sorry, it's just a little weird seeing you here." Lisanna commented, as if she had only just now noticed the scarlet haired wizard. "Anyway, I think Mavis came back too, along with Zeref from what I saw. There was a boy and a girl…well, it's hard to describe what it looked like…." Lisana was saying, but Edward already had an idea. Shadowy hands reaching up from the ground, with something that looked a lot like blue lightning dancing across the floor. All the signs of alchemy must have been present during the reappearance of those two, since they had come back from the Gate.

That didn't mean he was going to help, however, since it would only reveal that he knew exactly who they were and how they had come back. "We already told you, that was Arleos and Mio! Stop filling our heads with nonsense, do you really think we don't want the First to still be here? Do you really think we'd have just given up on her so easily? She's gone, so stop insisting that she's not!" Gray shouted at her, making Edward turn towards the table now, still uncomfortable with keeping this hidden. So many people wanted Mavis to be alive, but he couldn't reveal their secret. It was the only thing keeping Zeref safe right now, and the only thing that kept open this path to getting his memories back.

Erza held her arm out towards Gray, a silent warning for him to back off as he leaned closer to Lisanna. Lucy watched from behind the ice-mage, looking nervous and unsure of how to stop this. Natsu just frowned at them, his head gazing downward as he thought about the issue himself. "Shouting is not going to solve this problem, Gray, regardless of the truth of your statement." Erza stated, watching as Lisanna's hands began to shake slightly on the table, clenched together tightly.

"Why….why won't anyone believe me? Edward….even he said I was wrong at first….and he didn't even know them." she began, sounding a bit sad and desperate. "I'm doing everything in my power to find and stop Zeref, so why can't you help me? You're Fairy Tail, this world's version of my guild back home, so don't you have any sense of loyalty to your friends? Don't you help each other out with their problems?" Lisanna demanded, tears in her eyes.

Edward glanced at her, sighing as he stood up, not wanting to stay any longer. He couldn't listen to her cry over this, not when he knew where Zeref was. Maybe the guy had died and come back to life, but that had come with a high price for both of them. Edward didn't understand that exchange entirely, but he knew that Zeref had not been lying. For whatever reason, Edward felt like he could trust Zeref implicitly, and that was part of why he couldn't let Lisanna find him. "You know, something's been bothering me lately." Natsu said at last, catching Edward's attention as he moved to leave.

The dragon slayer had moved, and was now standing between Edward and the exit of the guild with his arms crossed over his chest. "Get out of my way, you bastard, I've got better things to do than stand around here and debate this with you guys." Ed insisted, but Natsu shook his head at the ex-alchemist.

"No." Natsu stated, narrowing his gaze at the boy. "You smell like him….like death and something else I've never been able to place." he stated confidently, taking a step closer to Edward.

"Oi, salamander, get it right! That kid smells like lunch to me, he reeks of iron." another man commented, shouting down from above their heads. Edward glanced up, seeing a second floor visible from where he stood. Leaning against the railing casually was a tall man, with a long mane of black hair and metal studs piercing his face.

Natsu nodded in agreement, still glaring over at Edward. "Yeah, there's that too. So, tell me then, have _you_ been spending any time with Zeref recently?" he demanded, while Edward backed away, unsure of what to say in response. He didn't get either of these people, claiming he _smelled_ like Zeref. Just how did a person smell such a thing anyway? It didn't make any sense, though not much of this trip had so far.

Lisana was now standing as well, her eyes wide as she stared at Edward, not wanting to believe Natsu's claims. "No….Edward wouldn't…he was helping me…." she was trying, gazing at Edward who avoided all of their gazes.

With a sigh, the ex-alchemist realized that somehow, he had been caught. Glaring over at the pink-haired man, Edward nodded. "Yeah, I've seen him. You guys better leave him alone too if you know what's good for you." Ed insisted, moving to walk out with that statement.

Natsu grabbed his arm, though, pulling Edward back with a look of anger in his eyes. "Zeref has made Fairy Tail his enemy, even if he's unstoppable, we will destroy him." Natsu insisted, giving Ed a slight smile. "Besides, you're strong, so you should be able to take him no problem!" he added.

Ed yanked his arm free from Natsu's grip, watching the dragon slayer frown in confusion at his actions. "He may be your enemy….but he isn't mine. I need him, none of you would understand even if I tried to explain." he insisted, moving to walk out the door once more. This time, it wasn't Fairy Tail that stopped him, but Lisanna. She ran towards him from behind, grabbing his waist with her arms and hugging him tightly, sobbing into his back as she nearly fell to her knees on the floor.

"Edward….please, tell me it isn't true. Tell me you're lying, that you haven't seen Zeref before and that you're still going to help me!" she pleaded, while Edward did his best to keep his gaze upward. If he looked into her eyes, Edward wouldn't be able to stop himself from bringing her to Zeref. "You are the only one who listened, the only one who even tried to help! That couldn't have all been a lie, so please, explain to me, why did you betray me like this?" she demanded.

Edward continued gazing at the door, taking a few steps forward and walking out of her grip, leaving Lisana sobbing on the floor behind him. "I'm sorry, Lisanna, I wanted to help you. Like I said before, none of you would understand, even if I tried to explain the truth to you." Edward repeated, taking a deep breath to try and calm down the weight he felt settle on his shoulders. He was abandoning this girl, and his only chance at going back home with this choice. Still, it felt right, protecting Zeref from these people who only wished to destroy him entirely. With his shoulders held high, Edward pushed open the doors of the guild and walked out into the street, determined to find a way back on his own. Well, maybe it didn't have to be on his own, he decided. Zeref was out there, and Edward knew that the former wizard would be willing to help him end this curse placed on him by the witch he met when he first came to this country.

 **Yay, more reviews! All of you are amazing, thank you so much for listening and giving me your feedback. As a reward, I've got an early update for you. See what happens when I end up inspired to write more? =D**

 **Sorry if this story is a bit fast-paced, I have been having issues with that lately. I took a creative writing class recently, and our focus was on writing flash fiction (for those of you not familiar with the term, Flash fiction is usually a story under a thousand words). That messed up my pacing for writing longer stories, but I'll be trying to work on it more to get back into a better pace for stories. This chapter isn't really any better in that sense...but I'll keep trying, I promise!**

 **Feel free to review if you have anymore feedback for me!**


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail or Fullmetal Alchemist

Edward found himself back in the alley, the place where he had first sat down and spoken with Zeref and Mavis last night. It was somewhat narrow, now that he looked at it away from the rush of chasing after the former wizard. The buildings were built close together, with a single window that gave a view of this alley and the boxes piled up at random spots in the street. Edward didn't understand their purpose, but he figured someone was just trying to throw out their junk on the street. Broken glass crunched under his feet, a sign of something falling down from the single window, or perhaps from a time the window itself had been broken. The stones that made up the street had large cracks between them, and it was clear that while this area might be okay for walking, it wasn't too safe for a vehicle of any kind to travel through.

Ed walked over to one of the boxes and sat on one of them, gazing down at the stone ground as he waited for Zeref and Mavis to arrive. Al was probably home by now, waiting with Winry to see him. Sure, it had only been a few days longer than he planned on getting back, but they were probably starting to get worried. Ed had no way of sending them a message, not with the messed up way people communicated around here. He still didn't grasp how some magical orb was used to send messages, and he didn't really want to bother to learn at the moment.

Even if he could send them a message, Ed didn't have any idea of what to tell them. Al was a lot like him; he wouldn't just believe Ed was trapped because of magic. Winry might, but she was a mechanic without the scientific background an alchemist had. Even so, Winry wasn't one to just believe without proof, and Edward had no way of proving the existence of magic to her without actually having her here to see it.

The ex-alchemist sighed, knowing that he couldn't drag them over here, either. This was his problem, not theirs, and he didn't want to involve others if it wasn't necessary. Al and Winry were safe back home, not dealing with some magical war that might be coming back now that Fairy Tail knew Zeref was alive somewhere. He just hoped that ex-wizard wasn't too upset with Edward over that. Zeref had been rather friendly towards him last time, even if he was kind of weird. That wasn't something Edward wanted to stop, not when he needed the man's help to get out of this place.

Ed's gaze turned upward as he heard the sound of feet on the stone ground. Before him, Mavis and Zeref were coming, now dressed quite a bit differently than before. Last night, Ed had seen them dressed like normal people, with Zeref wearing a formal suit and Mavis dressed in a small spaghetti-strap dress. Now, Zeref was dressed in a long black robe, covered with a white sash that he had tied over his shoulder to create some type of cape that hung behind him. Mavis had a light pink dress on, that had a matching pink shawl along with it tied around her neck with a red ribbon.

Ignoring the change in their dress, Edward nodded in greeting to them. He himself had changed too, he supposed, with his black tank-top and pants showing instead of the red coat he always wore. His cuts were almost sealed over now, only small amounts of dried blood sticking to his upper arm and his palms when the two arrived. "Edward, I see you've decided to see me again." Zeref stated with a small smile, sitting down once more on the ground before Edward. Mavis followed Zeref, sitting with a smile on her face next to the former wizard, not caring about getting dirt and whatever else was on the ground on her dress.

Ed nodded, rubbing the cage mark on the back of his hand with a frown. "Yeah, don't get too excited over it." Ed commented with a scowl, leaning forward as he spoke. "You've got some enemies coming for you, I just thought it would be common courtesy to give you a heads-up before they arrived." he stated.

Zeref frowned, but nodded anyway. "I see. Fairy Tail has discovered my reincarnation, I suppose it was inevitable even with our attempts at concealing our presence." he insisted. Ed had no idea how this guy knew exactly who had discovered him, but he wasn't going to question Zeref's methods.

"Yeah, and you've got some witch after you too. She claimed you dragged her over here from her world, and she wants revenge." Ed stated, glancing away a bit uncomfortably. Here was where he risked angering them, by revealing he had worked with that girl for a while. "In fact, I was working with her for a while. I was going to tell her where you were….but in the end, it just didn't feel right to me. I can't remember a thing about you, but I can't deny that I feel as if you are my friend, Zeref." he insisted.

Mavis smiled brightly at Ed, laughing at his discomfort while Zeref stared calmly at the ex-alchemist. "Silly Ed, of course we're friends! Everyone in Fairy Tail is like family to me, and even if you don't remember it, you are an honorary member of my guild. Your brother is too, but you both lost the ability to see me when you lost your marks due to your transmutation so long ago." she insisted, her voice somewhat darker towards the end of her statement.

Edward nodded, glancing down at the black mark on his hand. It was on the arm he had lost to get Al's soul back, and it only made sense that Al lost his mark with his entire body gone. "Right. Anyway….that's what I came here to say. You deserved that warning and…you know what, never mind. This was a stupid idea anyway, I shouldn't have even considered it in the first place." Ed stated, deciding that he had caused them enough trouble already. He wasn't going to drag them into yet another one of his problems, when they clearly had plenty of their own to deal with.

Edward hopped off of the box, moving to walk away past Zeref and Mavis when he felt Zeref grab his arm, rising and staring at the boy with a calm expression in his gaze. Something about the man's black eyes felt like they could read Ed's soul, see into his mind and know everything about him. They terrified Edward, but at the same time, those eyes were a comfort to look at, making him feel so conflicted about just who this was and how to act around him. "Edward, I am not here to battle anymore. I have grown weary of war and death, my only desire is to find peace in some form. If I can aid you in any way, it would be such a small way for me to atone for the things I've done in life. I will not claim to be good, for I know that I am, and always will be, viewed as the villain of this world." he insisted, sounding sad but longing with his words.

Ed hesitated, still not entirely aware of Zeref's past. Sure, he had heard that the guy came to him in Resembool, that he had stopped their first human transmutation and continued living with Ed and Al for a while before they attempted the same thing again. That wasn't the same as knowing everything about this guy, who just looked so sad all the time. "Well, then you really don't want to help me." Ed said at last, deciding that he had no other option anyway. Even if he didn't know how to feel about Zeref, he knew he couldn't involve his family in this mess. "I'm looking to learn about magic again, because I've got a witch trapping me in this country right now. She placed some freaky spell on me the first day I arrived, and I've been trying to get rid of it ever since then." Ed commented, showing them the blue mark on the back of his hand.

Zeref grabbed his hand, releasing Ed's arm as he studied the mark with a focused expression on his face. His hair was covering his eyes as his head leaned down, making Edward realize that Zeref actually had more hair than he first thought. "I see, it has been quite some time since I've seen a spell like this. True entrapment magic isn't all that common, with its specialty lying in defense rather than offense." Zeref commented, glancing over at Mavis who nodded in agreement.

"Yes, though it doesn't come without its uses. Offensively, a caster could immobilize their target by creating a prison far too small to contain their body. It would leave them in excruciating pain until the spell was lifted. I am impressed that Edolas even had something that could mimic it so well, their magic is usually quite different from ours." Mavis stated, stepping closer to Ed before gazing closely into his eyes. "You have not angered this wizard, have you? It would be unwise of you do so, when she can alter the limits of your prison so long as she holds the device used to create it."

Edward's eyes widened at this, not realizing that magic could do such a thing without the target nearby. "Wait, what? No…she wouldn't…Damn it! Why does this crap always happen to me, anyway? How do I get rid of this thing?" he demanded, while Zeref and Mavis shared a look, before the black wizard sighed.

"I suppose there are a few methods. One, the spell can be lifted by the caster. That is the easiest method for lifting the spell, the one that does not require going against any moral code you have and not requiring time or effort to accomplish." Zeref began, but Ed already scoffed at the idea. Lisana would never lift this thing willingly, not when it was making Edward her hostage to get to Zeref.

"Seeing how that does not appear to be an option for you, there are three other options. You can deplete the magical device of energy, leaving it with nothing left to use to keep this spell active. The mark would fade and you would be freed of your prison. However, to do this would require engaging in battle with them, forcing them to use an unknown amount of magical energy and I'm assuming you are unaware of just how to force an Entrapment Wizard to do such a thing. Regardless of the fact that this is only a mimicry of that magic, she will fight in a style that closely resembles a wizard of that style." Mavis stated, continuing for Zeref when he remained focused on Ed for a reply.

Edward crossed his arms over his chest, not really enjoying being called an idiot when it came to magic. Sure, Zeref and Mavis hadn't outright said that, but it was implied with their comments. "Death would be another option, though we both know you will not utilize this choice. Killing the caster would enable you to take the device for yourself, and it would be the second most efficient option." he insisted.

"Why the hell would you even suggest that, then? I'm not killing anyone, you heartless bastard, so just give me something I can work with!" Edward demanded, glaring harshly at Zeref who smiled with a look of amusement in his eyes.

Even Mavis looked amused, laughing at Ed's anger instead of actually getting intimidated by it like most people would. "Indeed, that leaves us going back to your initial request I suppose. Your only method of freedom is to master magic yourself, to become more powerful than the magic that trapped you in this spell and lift it yourself." Zeref insisted, folding his arms behind his back as he stepped deeper into the alley. "If that is your wish, I am more than willing to teach you once more, Edward Elric. Be warned, Entrapment Magic was never your specialty. Once we unlock your magical potential, you will struggle to force yourself to learn these spells and lift the one placed on yourself. It will take time and patience, but I know you have far more potential than any student I've had before."

Mavis pouted at that, her hands on her hips as she glared at Zeref. "No fair! I was your student too, Zeref, you can't just make Ed your favorite!" she complained, while Zeref smiled at her, stepping closer as he stroked her cheek gently, brushing some of her hair out of her face. Ed glanced away, a bit uncomfortable with watching whatever was going on between these two right now.

"I made no claim that he was my favorite, Mavis. He is simply the one with the most focus, and the greatest capacity to learn and understand the nuances of magic. In many ways, he is much like I was when I was a child." Zeref insisted, focusing on Edward. "However, I know he will not make the same mistakes I did. With his background in alchemy, Edward is quite aware of the dangers of interfering with life and death."

Edward nodded gravely, unsure of if he had any right to ask about this part of Zeref's past or not. "So, you don't have any magic anymore, but you still think you can teach me how to use it? It doesn't make sense to me, don't you need to do some kind of example or something with how it works?" Ed demanded, not quite sure of how this training would work out.

Zeref knelt down to the ground, picking up a lose stone from the street and turning towards the walls of one of the homes. "Not at all, I can simply use diagrams instead." he stated, drawing a strange image on the wall that Edward did his best to decipher. It looked like swirling lines, all of them flowing within a cycle of some kind that Edward had never seen before. "Magic exists around us all, coming from particles in the air known as Ethernano. The body absorbs these particles and stores them within, until they are unleashed in the form of magic by the caster. This is the flow of these particles within the body of a wizard, and only through meditation can you master the art of absorbing ethernano and expand the amount you can store within yourself."

Ed glanced at it, getting a bit irritated with this form of instruction. Meditation was just stupid, he had done plenty when he was stranded on that island with Al thinking about all is one and one is all. Nothing magical had happened then, so why would it be any different out here? "Yeah right, like I'd gain magical powers by just sitting around on my ass doing nothing." Ed complained, but Zeref smiled, as if distantly amused by his words. "Besides, didn't you say Lisanna used some object to trap me here? That's a hell of a lot more than just sitting around, Zeref."

"You claimed as much the first time I started teaching you this, yet you still managed to obtain your magic through meditation and focus." Zeref insisted, sitting down and watching Ed by the wall of one of the houses. "Edolas' magic was quite different from the magic in this world, enabled only through magical objects rather than an internal connection to the world. As an inhabitant of that world, Lisanna must posses such a device, even if you have yet to identify it. Magic in this world isn't too different from alchemy, Edward. It requires patience and focus to utilize it, and the more you practice it, the more skilled you become. Even if it disregards the Law of Equivalent Exchange, magic still utilizes energy to take form and does not come entirely without some form of payment."

Edward nodded at that, finally seeing something in magic that made sense to him. It wasn't equivalent, but it was an exchange of some kind to use it. "Fine, I'll try it your way then. I swear, if this doesn't do anything, I'm gonna kill you both though." he threatened, though they all knew it wasn't true. Ed was learning magic once more, and strangely, he was looking forward to it. As he closed his eyes and sat on the ground, something about this felt all too familiar and comforting to him, like a long lost friend come back home.

 **Alright, I think I've managed to slow down the pace at least slightly with this chapter, though I can't guarantee it'll stick like this. Like I said, I'm trying to work on it, but I tend to struggle with writing at a slower pace, because I find it more interesting to write more intense scenes.**

 **If anyone is interested, I did post a new Fairy Tail story (non-crossover) recently. I'm kind of curious about what others think of the idea, though I have almost no idea of where I want to go with it. It is titled Karma of Contradictions, and is an AU where Zeref is Fairy Tail's guild master. If you do read the one chapter I have posted, feel free to review with any ideas for the future of the story and/or pairings, since it is still a work in progress.**

 **Also, please review for this story and let me know what you think!**


	7. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fullmetal Alchemist or Fairy Tail

Ed didn't take that long to access magic, surprisingly. He expected it to not happen, when he had such a distaste for the skill and hardly believed in magic in the first place. Even so, something about the meditation felt familiar to him, and once he started, it was almost second nature for him to take deep breaths and focus on the energy building within his body. He had never once felt this before, the power within him growing immensely as he emptied his mind and calmed down. Still, he could not deny that this feeling had to be magic, the ethernano building inside of him and making him feel strong and warm.

His golden eyes flashed open on the third day of meditation, having only stopped to sleep once since training began. He didn't want to waste time with pointless exercises like sleep when he was so close to getting home. The more he worked on magic, the closer he would be to breaking the witch's spell and leaving this country. He focused on it just like he did on any other type of research, working endlessly until he finally achieved his goal.

Zeref surprisingly did not stop him, either. He sat and observed every day, sleeping in the very alley when Ed grew too exhausted to move on. When Zeref would wake up, he would wake Edward up as well, going straight back to work. He was glad that his instructor understood the importance of this task, that Zeref was keeping him focused on this work. Mavis would criticize him for pushing Ed too hard, but beyond that, no one was here to stop them from working day and night on accessing Ed's magic.

By the time the week had ended, Ed had managed to meditate nearly the entire time, sleeping only once more before waking up and going straight back to work. He knew it was working, with the energy building within him, but for some reason, it never released. The magic was there, Ed could feel it, but it just wouldn't move beyond his body. Something just wasn't working, and by now, with his lack of sleep, it was making Ed angry. "Come on, why won't this stupid stuff work yet?" Ed complained, shouting out in the silent alley and making Zeref's own eyes open, gazing at Edward with a frown.

"Is something wrong, Edward? Are you not feeling any improvement yet?" he asked, with an eyebrow raised.

Edward crossed his arms over his chest, sitting with his legs crossed on the ground as he frowned. "Yes, but that's the problem! I can feel the energy within me, so why can't I see anything going on? You made it sound so easy, like magic would just happen if I sat here and focused, but nothing is happening!" he complained, growing even angrier than before.

Zeref rose, smiling over at Edward as he nodded towards Mavis. He didn't quite understand what she was doing, but she ran off quickly towards town, leaving them alone. "I see. Perhaps I can help access it soon. For now, continue meditating. I will let you know when the time is ready to find the outlet for your magic to be unleashed." Zeref insisted, sitting back down and closing his eyes again.

Edward scowled at Zeref's advice, not pleased that he was going to waste even more of his time sitting around half-asleep and waiting for his energy to do something. It wasn't simple like alchemy, there was no amount of understanding or science that could make it work. That was why Ed felt he was struggling so much, simply due to his lack of understanding of how magic worked. With a huff, he closed his eyes as well, but meditation did not come as easily as before. He was too agitated to allow his mind to clear completely, irritation constantly leaking in and making him question Zeref's teaching methods.

He was still trying to get back into his meditative state when Mavis returned, smiling as she pulled out a massive metal shield. Ed jumped back in shock as she set in down on the ground, the plain steel in between him and Zeref. "Alright then, it's all set up. Come on, let's see what you've got in store, pipsqueak!" Mavis called out, while Zeref sighed by her side.

"Was that truly necessary, Mavis? We've gone through this before, we both know how Edward will react to those words." Zeref commented, but Edward was already on his feet, jumping up in anger at the girl hiding behind that sheet of metal.

With that insult added to Ed's already stressed mind, his anger reached its peak. "Who are you calling short, you tiny, shoeless child!" Edward shouted, not noticing that his anger had actually started channeling his magic. When he raised his fists in anger at Mavis, rocks lifted from the ground, and in seconds, they were sent flying towards Zeref and Mavis. The shield in front of them protected both former wizards, sending the stones flying directly back at Ed who scrambled to dodge them, stumbling around in surprise at the projectiles flying in all directions around him. A few of them were blocked using his automail leg, while a few others tore into his bare skin when he was not fast enough to dodge, but overall, the damage to him was minimal. The boxes in the alley were another story, though. With holes punched through all of them, some were nearing complete destruction.

Ed gazed around with a numb sense of shock, realizing he had caused all of this. Scratches could be seen on the walls of the two houses around them, but the majority of the damage was to the crates that had been abandoned in this alley. "It worked, just as I predicted. I told you, the best way to anger Ed was to comment on his height. That is what my previous observations have led me to believe, thus it was only logical to assume this would be the outcome of provoking him that way." Mavis insisted, while Zeref sighed, shaking his head at her as he moved out from behind their shield.

"Wait, what? Are you saying you did that just to make me angry?" Edward demanded, sounding rather irritated at that fact. For some reason, it irked him that the girl would call him short just to make him angry. Sure, people did it all the time, but few of them did it twice when they saw how the ex-alchemist reacted to any comment made on his lack of height.

Zeref nodded ever so slightly, his gaze wandering over the destruction of the alley Edward had caused. "Indeed, it was the method that allowed you to discover your magic before." he said calmly, before focusing his gaze on Edward once more. "You see, mental focus is one aspect necessary for magic, but the main difference between spells and transmutation lies within the emotional component. For magic to activate, you need to have a strong will to use it. The stronger your emotions are, the more powerful your magic. Thus, when enraged, your magic automatically lashed out after having been stored up to incredibly high levels." Zeref explained.

Ed frowned slightly, but it made a little bit of sense to him. Magic didn't follow the same rules as alchemy, that much was clear. Before, when he tried to use magic, he didn't have a specific goal in mind that he wanted. He just wanted something magical to happen, and without a focused goal, he couldn't do a thing. When he was angry, he wanted to lash out at Mavis for calling him short, so his magic reacted in the form of an attack against her. "I see. So, my magic acts based on my will, not solely on thought. Just how much can you do with magic anyway? Are there any limitations to it?" Ed asked, finally growing curious about the nuances of the art he was learning. Maybe it could be used beyond simple spells, and become a replacement for the alchemy he had lost during his final transmutation.

Zeref nodded slightly, sitting down before him with a slight smile. "Of course, though not quite as much as there are with alchemy. Bringing back the dead….I will not claim that it is an impossibility, but I will warn against it. There is a high cost to such a spell, as there are with others of similar power. Most wizards will focus on a single aspect of magic, specializing in one form or another. I am one of the few that has knowledge of nearly all forms of magic, from my years of study of the art in my search for a way…well, I suppose I don't quite have enough time to get into that now." he stated, cutting himself off as his face grew distant and sad, almost as if there was a suffering he couldn't forget in his past.

Edward understood that all too well, seeing the same look he got on his face when he thought of his time beyond the Gate. "So, the more powerful the spell, the greater the cost. I'm assuming that means that you can expend too much energy and kill yourself if you get reckless enough with it." Ed commented, while Zeref frowned, nodding ever so slightly.

"Indeed, though you will first fall into what is known as magic deficiency syndrome before reaching that point." Zeref replied, before gazing downward thoughtfully. "It is unlikely that you will expend that much energy, however, for it takes quite an extreme amount of effort to reach that point." he added.

Edward sat back down, nodding in understanding towards Zeref. After speaking with him, magic was slowly beginning to make sense to Edward. It wasn't science, but it did exist and followed its own set of rules. The only thing that had kept Edward ignorant of it was his own refusal to acknowledge that there was this other force at play in the world, one that could be placed and defined with its own logic and structure. "So, could magic actually be used to enhance alchemy? In theory, magic could technically replace that art, from what you're telling me, but if they were combined into one…." Edward began, lost in thought on just what it could accomplish.

Mavis nodded towards him, smiling as she sat and finished their little circle in the alley. "Well, no one has ever actually tried to combine them. From what Zeref has told me, alchemy was once popular in Fiore as well, though it was already dying in popularity when he was born. When magic was discovered, alchemy was replaced entirely with the new skill, deemed unnecessary when they could eliminate the Law of Equivalent Exchange." she explained.

Zeref was focused however, frowning as he gazed down at his hands. "True….but I wonder, is it possible?" Zeref asked, surprising Edward. "Perhaps not for Edward, but I believe he may have found an answer for us, Mavis. Edward, the key components of alchemical transmutations are comprehension, deconstruction, followed by reconstruction, correct?" he asked, making Edward wonder just what this man was planning.

As Edward nodded, Zeref rose to his feet, focusing his gaze on the building to his side. "I see, so as long as I can comprehend the matter and energy within ethernano, I could perform alchemy on it and thus, transmute it into a form of magic." Zeref stated, losing Edward at this point. He didn't have the same grasp on magic as Zeref did, but the black wizard was already moving on to test his theory.

Edward's eyes widened in surprise when Zeref clapped his hands together to transmute, a sign that he had not been lying when he claimed to have gone through the Gate with Edward so long ago. Edward watched with interest as his hands pressed out into the air, not even colliding with anything when blue sparks danced across the sky. Edward leaned back, worried that it might cause some kind of damage if he got too close to the transmutation, but that did not stop him from seeing the slowly forming black orb in the air. Even Mavis gasped in shock at the sight, while Zeref simply smiled at the orb that now hovered in the palm of his hand, completely in his control after his alchemy was finished. "I suppose this proves your theory correct, Edward. Alchemy can indeed be used for magic, if you truly comprehend all of the components involved in the spells you use." Zeref stated calmly, throwing the orb into the shield that was resting on the street behind them.

The collision resulted in a loud bang, ringing out in the air around them as the magic collided with metal. The shield itself remained vibrating on the ground, while Edward stared at it with wide eyes. "That…so you can use alchemy. I didn't realize you could." Ed said at last, unsure of what else to say about it.

Zeref nodded, sitting back down and joining Ed on the ground once more. "It seems so, though I will admit, I never quite saw me exchanging magic for alchemy. I imagine you would agree. Did you truly plan on becoming a wizard, when you gave up on being an alchemist?" Zeref asked, while Edward shrugged. Sure, he saw the guy's point, but that didn't mean he was going to cave in so easily.

When Zeref didn't say anything else, Ed sighed and glanced back over at Zeref, frowning ever so slightly. "I guess not." he replied, his golden eyes focusing on Zeref. "Still, I need to do so, if that's what it takes to get back to my home. I'm not going to just sit around and give up, not when I'm so close." Ed insisted. "We have to keep moving forward, Zeref. Now that I'm beginning to access my magic, you have to show me how to use this Entrapment Magic you mentioned. The sooner I learn that, the sooner I get to leave this place."

Zeref nodded with a slight smile, standing once more. "Very well, though it would be wise to continue learning your natural element first. Just one spell is not enough to warrant assuming you can channel your magic at will, not at this point." Zeref insisted.

Ed scoffed at that, rising to his feet and focusing on one of the few unbroken boxes left in the alley. He understood this concept well, now that Zeref had explained it. First, he had to focus his mind, meditating to calm his thoughts. Then, he had to find the desire to use magic, to access that energy for a specific goal. When Edward raised his arm, his focus entirely on the box, rocks began to rise with it, flying forward towards the box and destroying it in seconds. "How's that for control, you bastard? I told ya, I can handle this no problem. So, let's get started on something a bit more challenging, because right now, your lessons are beginning to bore me."

 **Please review and tell me what you think!**


	8. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail or Fullmetal Alchemist

Zeref wasn't joking about the challenge of learning a new aspect of magic. Every word Zeref said made no sense to Ed, and as hard as he tried, the only thing he could get his magic to do was move rocks. It wasn't all that entertaining, and it made Ed grow irritated quickly.

"Again. Entrapment Magic is about forcing your energy towards your victim, focusing your mind on a selected prison to create for them. Picture that cage within your mind, then force it to form and latch on to their body, using their own energy to cause the pain they feel when they attempt to leave." Zeref stated, while Edward scowled in irritation. He had seen nothing but failure thus far, and he had been attempting it for nearly a month now. All of that time, wasted in this place just trying to learn one stupid spell.

Edward tried to do his best to remember how Lisanna cast her spell, remembering the way she raised her arm and allowed dark blue light to expand from her palm towards his body. It flowed like water, moving slowly yet doing everything it could to break free from its set path. Still, Lisanna had controlled it with some magical object, and Edward would have to learn to do the same without that. His arm raised into the air, focusing on Zeref as his guinea pig for this spell. He still didn't get why Zeref was going to such extreme lengths to help him, but Edward wasn't going to argue at this point. He needed the help, and right now, Zeref was the only one capable of getting Edward to understand how to do this.

It didn't take long for Edward to draw on his magic, something that had become almost second nature to him over the last few weeks. Power welled within him, making him feel strong as he focused on Zeref once more, picturing the cage in his mind. This alley would be their prison, a place Zeref would never leave from again. That was Ed's goal at least, but when he attempted to unleash the spell, it was pitiful to watch. A small strand of blue trickled from his palm, before fading away into the air, as if nothing had happened at all. It was progress, to say the least. At first, Ed would only throw rocks at Zeref, using his element every time he attempted to imprison the man. That eventually turned somewhat better as his stones actually created a prison, rather than just attacking at random. Slowly over time, he had gained more and more understanding of this process, until he reached this point right here. He was so close, finally reaching beyond his natural element, but it was never strong enough to reach Zeref.

Edward glared at his hand in anger, walking over and kicking away some of the cardboard debris on the ground. It flew up and collided with the white wall of the building, before landing right back on the ground in front of Ed. "Damn it! Why can't I do even the simplest of spells? What the hell am I doing wrong?" he demanded, angry with himself for his constant failure.

Mavis walked over this time, patting Ed's back with a smile. "Nothing at all, magic just takes time to learn. Have some patience, I know you'll get there eventually." she insisted, but Edward didn't have time for patience. He spun around, glaring at the girl who stepped back, somewhat intimidated by the glare on his face.

"I'm out of time already! Winry was expecting me to come home weeks ago, she probably thinks I'm dead! Man, I don't even want to begin to think about what she'll say when I get back….she's going to kill me. Then, on top of that, Al is back there too, waiting for me to finish so we can look at our combined research and figure out a way to help this world with all the problems alchemy has caused. I've got family worrying about me, and all I am doing is standing around playing with something that I never even knew existed until a month ago!" he shouted.

Zeref rose, giving Edward a calm and serious look as he faced the ex-alchemist. "I see, then perhaps we should work on contacting them before continuing on." he stated, walking out of the alley suddenly. Edward watched for a few moments, lost as to what Zeref was suggesting to do. There wasn't much Ed could do to contact Winry and Al, not when he was trapped in this country. Still, Zeref stopped at the end of the alley, turning around and staring at Edward, waiting for him to join. With a sigh, Ed hurried off towards the former wizard, with Mavis following along.

Walking through the streets of Magnolia was interesting with Zeref and Mavis with him, to say the least. A few people recognized them, giving the couple looks of mixed shock and terror as they walked by. "For the purpose of this trip, it would be best to refer to ourselves as Arleos and Mio once more." Mavis commented, while Zeref nodded in agreement. Ed didn't really have much of an opinion, still lost as to what this trip was designed to do.

"Of course, though this won't take long. Every magic shop has a communication lacrima in stock, it will not be difficult to obtain one." Zeref insisted, while Edward frowned from behind them. That was one of those magic orb things he had heard of, but he was almost sure it wouldn't work. Al and Winry didn't have one back home, so there was nothing to connect with when using it.

"Hey, that won't work." Ed stated, watching Zeref turn his head back as they moved through the streets, turning left towards the business area of town. Their alley for practicing appeared to be in the residential section, a much calmer area with fewer people around to disturb them. "Al and Winry don't have magic back in Amestris, we won't be able to contact shit with this lacrima of yours."

Zeref gave Edward an amused smile, turning his focus back on the path in front of him. "Winry does indeed have one. I gave it to her long ago, so she could contact me should there ever be need of my aid." Zeref stated. "I knew you two were in the military, and while I dislike involving myself in war, I have no qualms with protecting the few I choose to call my friends."

Ed didn't know how to feel about that, with the dark tone in Zeref's voice. For some reason, there was no doubt in Ed's mind that Zeref had planned on killing any enemy that he and his brother faced back home. "For someone who speaks so casually about killing others, you have a strange opinion on fighting in wars." he stated after a few moments, remembering the way Zeref calmly suggested killing Lisanna to break free of her spell.

Zeref had a slight smile on his face, but his eyes darkened despite the look of amusement. "I suppose it would seem so. In the end, war only leads to more pointless killing, for reasons that ultimately become forgotten over time. I have seen far too much death to truly feel saddened by the loss of life, but at the same time, I have no desire to see more pointless battles that destroy lives. In some cases, the end will justify the means, but that is a rare situation when most wars are fought for power or revenge." he explained.

Edward didn't quite follow his comment, when his reasoning contradicted himself to an extent. He didn't care if people died, yet he claimed to want to protect life. It just hurt Ed's head to think about, wondering how Zeref got by living with such an opinion on the world. "Seems like even your thoughts are still stuck in contradictions, aren't they Zeref?" Mavis asked cheerfully with a smile, making the former wizard sigh and shake his head.

Edward didn't understand how it was amusing for them, but Zeref didn't mind her words. "Perhaps, though it does come from years of facing that contradiction in action." he said softly, sounding a bit sad as he spoke. He stopped with that statement, his gaze flickering to their side towards a small building, painted pale green with a black door in front of them. A wooden sign was hung above the door, calling the place Magical Mastery, a name that Edward frowned at with distaste. Sure, he understood that they were trying to focus on magic within the store, but it was too unoriginal to really be a successful name.

Zeref stepped inside, holding the door open for Mavis who skipped on in past him, looking eager to explore the treasures contained within. Edward followed soon after, not quite as excited for this task as the others but willing to go along with it for now. "Huh, so I guess there are magic shops in town. That means there are ways of imbuing objects with magic then, rather than just using your own energy to cast spells." Ed commented, walking around and picking up an object at random. It was a silver key, with a hexagon at the top end. On that hexagon was a picture that Ed couldn't quite identify, maybe something like a cross between a penguin and a dog.

The shopkeeper walked over, smiling at Ed's interest in the object as he clasped his hands together. He was an elderly man, nearly bald with a few strands of gray hair remaining on the sides of his head. Wrinkles were on his cheeks from smiling too much, and his eyes showed signs of exhaustion as he focused on Edward in front of him. "Ah, I see you've taken a liking to one of our gate keys. That one is the Little Dog, they are quite popular with young female wizards these days." he stated, while Ed set the object down, frowning at his explanation.

Zeref walked over, pulling Edward away from the shelf he was at and ignoring the shopkeeper. "Wait, I have more powerful gate keys if you are interested!" the shopkeeper tried, but he could not stop the determined former wizard from dragging away his potential customer. Edward struggled with pulling his arm free from Zeref's grip, not liking being dragged around like a child. Still, the man did not release him until they were deeper into the shop, standing within an aisle of shelves surrounded by different colored orbs. Edward had no idea what they were for, but Zeref seemed to know exactly what to look for as he studied the various forms of lacrima around them.

"Those were gate keys, used often for Celestial Spirit Magic. It is not what we were searching for, so I suggest focusing on the task at hand before idly selecting an object to inquire about." Zeref insisted, while Mavis stood on the opposite side of the aisle from him, also scanning the shelves with a look of interest on her face. Before long, Zeref pulled an object down, one that was a cloudy white color that rested on a golden base to allow it to sit flat. "It appears that this store does indeed sell communication lacrimas, we are in luck." he commented, turning towards Mavis who saw that he had found what they were looking for.

Edward glared at him, irritated that he had been interrupted from investigating more on the magic of this country. "Yeah, great work, so tell me, just what is the rest of this crap for? You're not seriously telling me that magic is something people just buy in a store, right?" he asked.

"Well, for some people it is." Mavis commented with a smile, happily walking with Zeref and Ed towards the front counter where they could pay. "After all, not everyone is capable of using magic. It takes a special ability that you must be born with to use it. For others, magic is used as a tool and purchased like this, in the form of objects that have pre-stored spells within. Some are designed for use with a specific wizard's magic, much like the gate key you selected before, while others are like this communication lacrima, usable by anyone to contact another person with a similar device." she explained.

Ed still didn't quite get how the lacrima itself worked, but if it got him in contact with Winry and Al, he wasn't going to complain. The door of the shop opened once more as Zeref, Ed, and Mavis stood at the counter, paying for the device. Ed didn't pay much attention to the sound of the door opening, but apparently he should have done so. "Look, I've been in magic shops before and trust me, they don't have anything that can help track people down. You'll have more luck just using Natsu's nose to track down Ed." a female voice stated, making Edward frown and turn around.

Behind him stood two girls, both of which he had met before. Lucy, the wizard from Fairy Tail with medium length straight blond hair stood next to a woman with a dark purple cloak on, the hood pulled down and revealing a child-like round face with bright blue eyes. "Well, Ed made his decision when he decided to be friends with Zeref." Lisanna stated, sounding hurt still. "I…I thought he would help, but maybe I only made things worse. I hope I can get him to at least tell me why he did this….when we finally catch up with him and Zeref anyway." she was saying.

Zeref frowned towards them, recognizing his name being used in conversation just as he finished paying for the lacrima in his hands. "Arleos, they appear to be from Fairy Tail. Still, I don't understand why Lisanna would hate you so much….even if you did attack our guild, she is not the kind of person to go through all of this effort to track down a single man who was known to be dead." Mavis was saying, trying to figure out what was going on.

Ed grabbed their arms, ready to run for it again. He didn't want to encounter them here, especially not with Zeref and Mavis with him. "No time to explain, just get out of here! That's not the Lisanna you know, Mio, trust me." Ed insisted, dragging them towards the door. Unfortunately, the noise of their footsteps made both girls glance towards them, their eyes wide at the sight of the three moving towards the door. Lisanna saw Ed, narrowing her eyes before she raised her arm, playing with the clasp on her cloak at her neck, making Edward wonder just what she was going to do now. He didn't notice the dark blue mark on his hand moving, trailing along his arm before settling back down on his hand in the shape of a cage once more.

As soon as Ed passed through the exit of the shop, immense pain surged through his hand, a familiar sensation to when he nearly fell off of the dock the first day he arrived here. He gave out a muffled cry as he fell to his knees, grimacing as his arm continued to burn in agony, the pain traveling along the limb as he stayed beyond the prison Lisanna had created for him. "I told you before, I don't want to hurt you, but my goal is far too important." Lisanna insisted calmly from behind him.

Ed glared at her, considering just what to do to get out of this now. "You bitch, I'll show you what happens when you mess with me!" Ed shouted, angry with being pushed around. Lisanna had attempted to befriend him, made him see her as a decent person beyond the whole entrapment thing. It left him feeling conflicted for quite some time, but Ed decided that he was crazy for ever seeing something decent in this girl. She was insane, and if he didn't fight back, he knew that she would not only kill Zeref, but she would also keep Ed away from his family for all of eternity.

Despite the pain surging through his arm, Edward rose to his feet, ignoring it as he focused on Lisanna. It was a good thing he was angry, because he seemed to be able to access his magic that much easier when he was emotional like this. With a smirk, Edward pressed the palm of his hand to the ground, much like he would with his alchemy before. For some reason, it helped to mimic what he knew to cast spells with his magic, especially when he was doing something familiar to him like this. "Crushing Grip!" Ed shouted, watching as two stone hands emerged from the ground around Lisanna. Both of them moved towards her, curving around her body and leaving the girl shrieking in the sky, terrified of Ed's next move.

"Lisanna!" Lucy shouted, coming out and seeing the girl in trouble. Her gaze focused on Ed, glaring at him as she pulled out a strange key, much like the one Ed had inspected in the store. "That's it, no one goes around hurting my friends and gets away with it. Open, Gate of the Bull, Taurus!" Lucy shouted, turning the key in the air and leaving Ed staring in shock as a massive cow appeared. It was muscular, standing on two legs while wielding an axe in his arms.

"Edward, it would be best to avoid battles like this if possible. You are in no condition to fight when afflicted by that magic." Zeref stated calmly from his side, watching the battle carefully.

Ed glared at him, not liking the distraction from the fight. "You shut up! I know what I'm doing, I've been in far worse pain than this before." Ed insisted, watching as Zeref's gaze flickered towards the scar on Ed's shoulder. Even Lucy did the same, wondering just what this boy had gone through in his past.

The bull was focused now, charging towards the rock hand holding Lisanna captive. "Alright, Luuuuucy, I'll take care of this guy quickly for ya, and then have that much more time to enjoy your rockin bod!" the cow insisted, leaving Ed wondering just how crazy this thing was. He had fought more sane homunculi back in Amestris, somehow he had expected more from the creatures he found here.

Even so, the cow's strength was nothing to scoff at. His axe destroyed Edward's rocks with ease, leaving Lisanna falling from the air and down towards the ground. The cow caught her, setting her down gently before turning towards Ed, his axe raised for battle. "So, you like weapons do ya?" Ed asked, smirking slightly as he pressed his palm to the ground by his side. "Rock Spear!" Ed shouted, watching as a weapon rose from the ground and into his grip with ease. Magic wasn't all that different from alchemy, and Edward had figured that out almost immediately. Almost all of the spells he had mastered in his own element related back to his fighting style as an alchemist. Even if he wasn't the best wizard, he knew he had enough skill to beat this cow in front of him.

Taurus moved forward, ready to battle as he swung his axe down towards Ed. The ex-alchemist dodged, jumping to his left as he swung with the base of his spear, the dull end slamming into Taurus' stomach and making the cow double over for a moment. Edward pressed his advantage, kicking the cow hard with his automail leg and sending him flying back into the magic shop, crashing through the wall and leaving him sprawled on the ground. "Taurus!" Lucy cried, worried for her spirit who was now glowing gold on the floor. Ed didn't quite know what was going on with the creature.

"Sorry, looks like I'll see you later, Luuuucy!" the cow stated, fading away from both of their sights. At that point, the pain in Ed's arm grew to be even greater, making him suck in a hissing breath. He fell to his knee once more, breathing hard as he rested his spear on the ground using his marked arm, holding it with his free hand.

Lisanna stared at Ed, frowning slightly as she stepped closer. However, Zeref and Mavis both moved to stand between them, facing her with looks of calm focus on their faces. "If you truly wish to continue your battle, I suggest leaving Edward alone. If you continue tormenting him further, I promise you, I will show you what happens to those who anger me." Zeref insisted.

Mavis nodded in agreement, her gaze focused on Lisanna. "Many years ago, Edward became a member of Fairy Tail, and that means he is my comrade. It is my duty to protect all of Fairy Tail and its members, so I will not hesitate to stop you from harming Edward further He has informed me that you are not the Lisanna of my guild, so that makes you an enemy that must be stopped at all costs." she insisted.

Lucy was watching them, her eyes wide as she focused on the trio facing off against Lisanna. "Wait….don't tell me you're really…" she began, trailing off as Mavis nodded.

"We are, though we are not the same as we used to be. That does not mean I am willing to abandon the guild I created, nor will I abandon someone who has been my friend for years." Mavis insisted, while Edward grimaced, focusing on them as he tried to stand again. He lost his balance quickly however, falling right back into his kneeling position with a gasp, grimacing again.

"Damn it, this isn't your fight! You don't have to get involved, just get out of here!" Ed shouted, watching as Zeref gave Ed a small smile. "She wants to kill you, can't you see that?" he demanded.

"Death is something that comes for all living things, in the end, I welcome the prospect of finally resting in peace." Zeref stated, smiling over at Lisanna who actually backed away at his comment. "Tell me, do you truly wish to destroy me, or is there something else you had hoped to gain from tormenting Edward?"

Lisanna glanced away, her gaze focusing on Ed for a few moments. With a sigh, she raised her hand one last time, a very faint click echoing as she rotated the clasp on her cloak once more. Her other hand reached out towards him, making Edward wonder just how much worse this was going to get. Instead, however, the dark blue mark began moving once more, flowing away from his hand and towards her palm, once again reminding him of a river flowing between two people as the blue light thickened between them. When all of the blue had faded from the air, the pain vanished from Ed's arm and left him staring at his hand with wide eyes. The spell was gone, lifted in an instant by the girl he thought would keep him trapped forever.

"I'm sorry." she said after a few moments, shaking slightly as she fell to the ground, sitting on her legs with her feet behind her. "I just wanted…I just wanted to see my family again. That's all I've ever wanted…." she began, glancing up at Zeref. "You took me away from my home, I remember that much. You didn't even tell me why….nor did you send me back. But then….I met Edward, who was so kind to me even after I treated him horribly." she began, giving the ex-alchemist a slight smile. "He brought me back to the Fairy Tail of this world, and showed me that no matter where I am, I still can have friends who care for me regardless of if I belong here or not."

Zeref nodded, gazing at her with a slight frown. "Ah, now I see. Now that you mention it, I do believe I recall why I brought you here. It was a mistake, an attempt of mine to….resolve a problem that had occurred a few years back." Zeref stated, glancing towards Edward. "I could not reach the realm I sought to enter, and instead touched your world. In the end, even my magic had limits, though perhaps I can find a way to send you back."

Edward frowned, wondering how he was involved in this mess Zeref had created in the first place. What realm would he be trying to reach with magic? It didn't make sense to Ed at first, but that was until he figured out just what Zeref was mentioning. "No…you weren't trying to go back to… _there,_ were you?" Ed asked, watching as Zeref nodded, a sad smile on his face.

"I had forgotten something very important to me, and I needed the two of you to help me remember. You had helped keep me in the light for so long….it was a struggle on my own to maintain that mindset." Zeref stated. "I wished to obtain your memories from that place, but in the end, I could not reach it with magic alone. I believe that alchemy is needed to arrive there, and if that is the case, there must be a trade performed to regain what you've lost." Zeref insisted.

"Wait, what are you guys even talking about? I've never even heard of this alchemy stuff, and what kind of trade is needed to get someone's memories? I'm sure that we have a wizard back at the guild that could unlock them for you, no problem!" Lucy insisted, grinning over at Ed who glanced away, focusing on the ground by his feet instead of her.

He knew it wouldn't work, that Zeref had a fair point. His memories weren't just blocked in the back of his mind, they were completely gone. Truth had them, back in that world that he lived in, enjoying his games with others who sought to have the power of god. "No, that won't work." Ed stated, not bothering to explain it to them. This was his burden to bear, he wasn't going to concern Lucy with his problems.

"Indeed, I must agree with Edward on this one. His memories are not simply inaccessible, they have been completely removed from his mind and exist in another world at the moment, in the possession of another being." Mavis insisted. She was quite logical, Edward realized, when she wasn't being so cheerful and trying to make friends. Her mood could switch so suddenly, he didn't know which version of her was her true nature. In the end, it didn't matter too much, but he just wondered what had made her like this.

Lisanna stared at Edward with a look of concern, as if she finally realized the reason he had protected Zeref. "That's why….you protected them because they offered to help, didn't you?" Lisanna asked, while Ed nodded, gazing away from her.

"I met them before, actually. Zeref came to Amestris when I was just a kid, and from what I've heard, he did a lot for me back then." Ed stated, while Zeref frowned, looking as if he disagreed.

"It was a simple task, in the end you did more for me than you even realized." Zeref stated, sighing as he placed the lacrima on the ground. "Either way, I do suppose it is time to contact Al and Winry, before she grows too worried over your absence." he insisted.

Ed watched as Zeref placed a hand on the orb, not seeming to do much before the cloudy surface cleared, revealing a screen as clear as a window. It looked just like the inside of Winry's room, every detail plainly laid out before him as someone moved in front of the object. "Ah, Winry come help me! Brother is trapped in this strange orb on your desk!" Al shouted, stumbling back in shock at the sight of Ed leaning next to Zeref to get a closer view of inside the lacrima.

"Wait, what? Why the heck would Ed be…." Winry began, her voice trailing off as her face came into view. She had just walked into the room and was now focused on the orb before her, looking angry as she saw Zeref standing next to Ed. "What the hell do you think you're doing? Get the hell away from Ed, you idiot, do you want to get him killed?" she demanded, making both boys flinch at the harshness in her tone.

Zeref blinked a few times before giving her a small chuckle, shaking his head. "It would appear that you are as protective of them as ever, Winry. There is no need to worry, however, my curse is now gone and it is quite safe for Edward to be here with me." he insisted, making Ed frown in confusion. What curse was he even talking about? How did Winry know about it when he didn't? None of this made sense to him, until he realized that she hadn't been dragged into the transmutation with Zeref, Al, and him. She still had her memories; she didn't have to pay the toll.

Winry still looked doubtful, frowning with her arms crossed over her chest as she focused on the two before her. "Is that so? Well, I guess I can't exactly ask you to prove it in any way….but you better not do anything to Ed, because if I find out that he has died because of your stupidity, I swear I'm going to go to the Alvarez Empire and kill you myself if I have to." she warned, watching as Zeref smiled at her, shaking his head.

"Actually, we are in Ishgar at the moment, not my empire. For the time being, to the knowledge of my kingdom, I have died and they are in need of a new emperor." he explained, while Al watched in the background on the lacrima, looking lost at their exchange.

"Hey, sorry to interrupt, but what is going on here? How is Brother in that orb, Winry?" he demanded, looking lost as to how this was working.

Lucy stepped closer to Ed, frowning at Al's comment. "He isn't in the lacrima, you idiot. How do you not know how a communication lacrima works? Doesn't everyone know how to use one?" she demanded, while Ed shoved her back, irritated with having her insult his brother.

"Shut up! We don't have your stupid magic crap back in Amestris, I'm just as clueless about how it works as he is." Ed insisted, glaring harshly at her. Lisanna giggled watching his irritation, while Mavis smiled by her side.

"He is quite amusing when he gets angry, isn't he?" Mavis commented, while Lisanna only nodded in agreement. Ed did his best to ignore those girls for now, while he had the chance to speak with his family.

Al was looking shocked by Ed's words, staring at his brother in disbelief. "Brother, did you just say magic? That's…that's impossible! Even in all the countries I traveled to, magic is still a thing of fiction!" he insisted.

Ed sighed, rubbing his head with irritation as he glanced over at Zeref. "Yeah, I thought the same thing, but that was before some crazy witch lady trapped me in this stupid country." he said with annoyance.

Lisanna wasn't too pleased with that comment, huffing with her hands on her hips. "Hey! I'm not that crazy, be nice and tell your brother the truth. I'm your best friend here, aren't I?" Lisanna insisted, smiling cheerfully as she attempted to hug Ed from behind him. The ex-alchemist glared at her, quickly shoving her back with one arm in annoyance.

Winry sighed, shaking her head at Ed with a look of mild irritation on her face. "Ed, what kind of a mess did you get yourself into this time?" she demanded, while Ed glared at her, irritated that she automatically assumed he was in trouble already.

"Hey, I'm not in that much trouble! I already got myself freed from that stupid spell of Lisanna's, all that's left is to….well, that's part of what I wanted to talk to Al about actually." Ed stated glancing around at the others uncomfortably. This would be weird, talking about it in front of so many people, but he didn't really have another option at the moment.

Al stepped forward, looking confused as he focused on Ed. "What is it, Brother? Did you find another country suffering because of alchemy?" he asked.

Ed shook his head, focusing on Zeref for a moment before sighing. "No, but I found out we paid a higher price than we thought all those years ago. We lost more than just our bodies back then, we lost our memories as well." he stated.

Winry looked uncomfortable, her gaze focused on Zeref within the lacrima. "So he told you about that, did he?" she asked, sounding sad as Edward nodded in confirmation. "I see. I'm glad you ran into him again, to be honest, I don't think I've ever seen you quite as happy as you were when Zeref was around since that day. He was almost like a father to you when you needed someone the most. He took care of you guys, and while I didn't like him at first, I realized that he was really important to both of you and that he actually cared in his own way." she insisted.

Ed didn't have much to say in response, with her talking about a time he could not remember. "Wait….I remember you! You were there that day, in our house when Brother…." Al was saying, trailing off uncomfortably as he remembered others were standing near Ed. Lucy and Lisanna were lost at this point, but that was the entire plan with the way Ed and Al were speaking of this.

Zeref nodded, his expression calm as he gazed over at Al. "Yes, I was there that day. I had just come back from the Gate as well; it was not possible for me to leave before you two came back as well. It is good to see that you've returned to your old self, Al, I did not think I would see you like this again." Zeref stated, a smile spreading across his face.

"Wait, a stranger was in our house that day and you didn't tell me? What the hell, Al?" Ed stated, irritated that this was the first time he had heard of this.

Al looked uncomfortable, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. "Well, I didn't think it was all that important….I was more focused on dealing with you that day, Brother." he said after a few moments.

Ed nodded gravely, glancing down at his automail leg as he grew quiet. He understood that much, the desire to help someone so much that you forgot about the details of the world around you. It was how he had felt when he came back from the Gate and couldn't find Al, realizing that he had another price to pay to save his little brother. "Right, I guess that makes sense." Ed said after a few moments, focusing on Al once more. "Anyway, I'm going to be over here for a little while longer. I'm trying to figure out how to get our memories back, Al, and I think that we just might have a way to do it in this place of magic." he stated.

Winry sighed, shaking her head at him. "Of course you are. Just be safe, alright Ed? I don't want to see you getting hurt over there on this mission of yours." she insisted.

Ed nodded, giving her a slight smile as he stared at her worried expression. He had missed both of them so much, but it would only be a little while longer before he saw them in person. "Of course, after all, I promised you half of my life didn't I?" he stated with a grin, watching her cheeks turn red as she stood with a frown on her face.

"Yeah, and I told you to stop with that alchemy nonsense all the time! Can't you just ask a girl out like a normal guy?" she insisted, before covering her mouth with her hands in even greater embarrassment. Al was laughing by her side, amused by their failing attempts at speaking their feelings, but Edward was happy. This was his family, as strange as it was, and even if he wasn't with them in person, it felt good to hear their voices. As they continued talking, moving on to more details of Al's adventure, Edward couldn't help but keep a smile on his face aware that this was exactly how his life was meant to be. Before long, he would be back at home with both of them, and then, he would remember Zeref and maybe have another friend to add to their small little family in Resembool.

 **So, I've kind of given up on an update schedule. I got really stressed recently, with class, work, and writing together. So, I stopped writing for a little bit, and now, I've decided that I'm not going to create scheduled updates for a while, to get rid of the pressure of having to finish chapters by a certain time. Sorry for the delay, but to make it up for you, this chapter was a bit longer. As always, feel free to review and tell me what you think!**


	9. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail or Fullmetal Alchemist

Even though Ed wished to start immediately on working towards regaining his memory, there was another promise he had to remember. Lisanna was still trapped away from her family, in an entirely different world from where she came from. Zeref might not feel much guilt over his actions, but Ed was different. Zeref's actions had been on Ed's behalf, so in a way, she was trapped because of him. That meant that it was his problem to fix, and he had to keep his former promise to find Zeref and help send her back to Edolas.

This was why he was sitting in the Fairy Tail guild, getting strange looks from the other wizards as he sat at a table with Mavis, Zeref, and Lisanna. Lucy was at the bar with Mira, looking worried as she whispered back and forth with the bartender. Natsu was deeper in the guild, starting a fight with Gray, while Erza sat alone at a table, calmly enjoying a piece of strawberry cake. It seemed like a typical day at the guild, though the members would often grow quiet, whispering about the group that did not belong among them.

"The magic you are seeking is a challenge to perform. Few portals have been opened to the world of Edolas, and the majority of them were utilized to drain away the magical energy of our world." Zeref stated, watching as Lisanna frowned.

"So? That means it is possible. You were the one that dragged me over here, it can't be that much different to send me back." she insisted.

Ed understood her logic, but things weren't quite that easy. Zeref didn't have magic anymore, so if anyone was sending her back, it would have to be one of the wizards here. "He can't, I already told you, Zeref doesn't have magic, idiot. Any magic needed to send you back will have to come from me, and I don't seem all that skilled with anything beyond rock magic." he insisted.

Mavis patted Ed's head gently, smiling brightly as the former alchemist scowled at her actions. "Don't be so upset, Ed, I'm sure you could figure it out eventually! I've been around plenty of other wizards who struggled with their magic, too. I remember one time, with Yuri—" she began, but Ed was irritated with her story already.

"Shut up, Mavis, this isn't about your stupid friends!" he insisted, watching as she pouted, walking over towards Zeref with a sad expression on her face.

"Zeref, Ed's being mean again! You are the one who raised him, it is your job to make him stop." she insisted. Zeref simply sighed, shaking his head while Edward looked at the girl as if she was insane. "Oh, fine, you are both going to be annoying today it seems. All well, I suppose it was likely that this would occur when you couldn't find a solution to this problem of yours." Mavis insisted, sitting down next to Zeref as she decided standing by the table was uncomfortable.

"Mavis does have a valid point, Edward. Despite what you think, you developed remarkably quickly during your time with me. Given the opportunity, you would excel at any branch of magic you chose to study. The issue for us is deciding which method to utilize, since this is far more than a simple teleportation spell." Zeref insisted, glancing over at Lisanna. "Teleportation is possible due to the presence of magic within the world, connecting all areas of this world to each other by the flow of ethernano around us. By accessing that flow and enhancing it with your own magic, you can find yourself traveling to any point where ethernano exists. For Lisanna, we are attempting to send her to a place without such a power, a place without magic." he explained.

Lisanna frowned, leaning back in her seat with a look of sadness in her eyes. "So, you are essentially saying it is impossible because magic has been entirely eliminated from Edolas." she stated.

Edward agreed, based on what he had heard. There was no flow of ethernano to that place, nothing that she could follow that would allow her to pass through whatever barrier existed between here and her home. "Not quite, though it will be more challenging. Rather than a simple teleportation spell, we need to work on creating a gateway to this world. Essentially, a gate, much like what is used in celestial magic, allows two entirely different points to be connected through the magical energy of a single individual. One person creates that pathway by focusing on a specific destination, keeping every detail of it in mind as they activate their spell. For this reason, it would be simpler to teach you how to open a gateway to Edolas, since you understand this world better than Ed." Zeref corrected, leaving Ed sighing and shaking his head. "Since you are likely unaware of this yet, there is a medicine of sorts that was developed some time ago that allowed wizards to possess internal magic within Edolas. Others have studied it over the last few years, and with their added developments, it should give you the capability of doing so as well, even if you come from Edolas yourself." he added, seeing Ed's hand raised to object almost immediately after his first comment. He let his hand fall afterwords, scowling as he rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Great, so we're putting all of our confidence in a girl that traps her friends and refuses to listen to reason." Ed commented sarcastically, giving Lisanna a slight look of irritation. "I think we'd be better off figuring out a way to force magic back into Edolas, that way I'm the one using magic to get her back home." he insisted.

Mavis focused on him, shaking her head in disagreement. "No, that would not be ideal. The most efficient way for us to proceed would be the method Zeref has proposed. Lisanna is a wizard of sorts, and once she has taken an X Ball, she will be capable of magic powerful enough to open a gate to Edolas. We are simply in need of a key to open such a path, an object that can be used to channel her magic through to enhance and strengthen it to the point required for a powerful spell like this one." she insisted.

"Wait, so my own magic alone isn't enough?" Lisana asked, confused with Mavis' added comment.

Ed shook his head, understanding this well enough on his own. "Of course it isn't, we're talking about going to an entirely different world here. According to science, there's virtually no chance of an alternate dimension existing, so I imagine it takes quite a bit of power to break through that wall even in the slightest. Otherwise, we'd have seen some kind of proof of the existence of this Edolas place you keep talking about." Ed insisted.

Zeref gazed over at the two of them for a few moments, before closing his eyes, pulling something out from within the folds of his robe. "I suppose I do owe you this much, in that case." he commented, revealing a sleek black key, metallic and glinting as he set it down between them on the table. "This is the key I developed ages ago, when I first attempted to breach the walls of another world. It can be used to do so again, though it will take quite a bit of time to train you to the point of being able to use it. Are you truly prepared to let go of your hatred for me enough to be my student?" Zeref asked, watching Lisanna hesitate, gazing up at the former wizard warily.

Ed knew that she had been acting calm and civil thus far, but she was only comfortable because of her surroundings. She was sitting next to Ed, and surrounded by familiar faces, even if this wasn't her guild from back home. That meant she could handle the stress of being near a man she viewed as her enemy, but this would take that a step further. Training would mean being alone with Zeref, something Lisanna might not want to experience. "I….I won't say I've forgiven you completely. You took me away from my home and my family, that isn't something I could ever forget or move on from. I'll never get that time back, no matter how long I live or where I end up." she began.

Lisanna's gaze lifted to meet Zeref's eyes though, focused as she took a deep breath. "Still, that does not mean I don't want to do everything in my power to return to my home. Even if it means learning from you, I will bear any amount of pain to show my family that I am still alive, fighting to be by their sides. I may not like you, Zeref, but I will focus and train with everything I have in order to break through the barrier between worlds and return to Edolas." Lisanna insisted.

Zeref gave her a small smile, nodding as he rose to his feet. Mavis followed suit, rising and moving towards the exit of the guild. They both turned back towards Ed and Lisanna, gazing at them calmly as Zeref began to speak, one last farewell before their mission began. "Very well, it appears that we have reached an agreement. Edward, be sure to bring her to our usual training spot early tomorrow morning. We have much to discuss, and it will take quite some time to properly train her on the use of my technique for creating a gateway between worlds."

* * *

Meeting with Zeref the next day wasn't all that entertaining for Ed. He was bored, without being trained himself he was stuck watching Lisanna work with Zeref. That left Edward sitting in the alley, idly playing around with his own magic by making rocks twirl around in the air. It was a boring exercise, watching pebbles spin around in circles directly above his lap, but it was better than nothing. At least Lisanna was entertained, focused on meditating much like Ed had done during his first week of training with Zeref.

"Edward, just what went on in Amestris after we left?" Mavis asked him, also sitting in the alley as Zeref and Lisanna trained. She had little to do as well, and now, Ed understood how she felt when he was focused on his lessons.

He glanced at her absently, still focusing mainly on his magic when he spoke. "That's a long story, I guess. Tell me, have you and Zeref ever heard of the philosopher's stone?" Ed asked, watching as Mavis glanced towards Zeref, her expression dark.

"I have not utilized such methods for power, however, Zeref is another story." she said quietly. "Keep in mind, Zeref has lived a long time. After so much time, he has a habit of forgetting just how valuable lives can be, thus he grows careless and self-centered when creating his own plans." she began, while Ed stared at Zeref with a harsh glare. He didn't like how this was sounding, the way Mavis was talking like Zeref had used a philosopher's stone before.

Mavis sighed, shaking her head slightly before continuing on. "It wasn't long after you lost your memory that he grew interested in its power. He had heard rumors of the stone before, though I do not know entirely where these rumors had originated. You see, Zeref is far older than even I am, and I do not know all of his past." she stated, staring at Zeref with a look of longing in her eyes. Ed could see that she wanted to know more about him, about where he came from and who he used to be. In a way, Ed was curious about it himself. Both Zeref and Mavis were mysteries to him, two people that he had met that claimed to be a part of his past. He understood so little about them, but he could not deny the trust he felt for both of them.

Lisanna was struggling with focusing on her meditation in front of them, making them pause for a moment as Zeref criticized her inability to focus her mind and optimize her magical capabilities. "Zeref was willing to go to any length to bring back your memories, that was why he made it. I do not know how he determined the process necessary, but I know that he found a willing group of people to be used for his test. As horrible as it sounds, they knew the risks involved when they joined a group that followed the teachings of the Black Wizard Zeref." she said darkly.

Ed was staring at Zeref with an even deeper scowl now, his hands clenched into fists as he held back his desire to punch the man for what he had done. Even without saying it outright, he understood that Mavis was saying he found willing sacrifices for a stone. Zeref had made one carelessly, without even thinking about how valuable those lives were that created the tool he made. "In the end, however, he found himself incapable of using the stone. After seeing what he had done, Zeref was weeping on the ground, observing the dead citizens of his empire before him, holding a single red stone in his hand. It appeared that he had finally remembered the value in those lives, though it occurred just a moment too late." she explained.

Ed glanced over at Zeref, wondering just how he could change his mind so suddenly after killing so many people. "You know, I think in many ways that it was you who reminded him of that." she stated quietly. "There are very few people who believed in Zeref from the moment they met him. I was one such person, and that was why he grew to love me. You and Al did the same, accepting him despite all the pain he brought to the world around him. When he saw all the death around him, I think he realized that this was not something you would want, and he turned to other methods of returning your memories. In the end, he did not do so quick enough, and he lost all grip on the value of life. In desperation for an end to his suffering, he began a war of his own. You arrived just after that war, and that is why you see so much tension between us and the wizards of Fairy Tail." she explained.

Ed nodded, still unsure of how to react to Zeref's actions. He could not tolerate anyone who would use a philosopher's stone, but it seemed like the guy realized the issue with it eventually. He disliked that Zeref had ever considered such a thing, but Ed couldn't blame him for something that was already passed, something that Ed hadn't even witnessed or saw evidence of being true. "I guess he isn't the saint he makes himself out to be, then. He may have helped out my brother and me, but he isn't a hero at all." Ed insisted.

Mavis shook her head, frowning as she watched Zeref and Lisanna meditate together, both of them closing their eyes and sitting on the ground with their legs crossed in front of each other. "Zeref is complicated to understand. In the end, he isn't a hero or a villain, at least not to me. I see someone struggling to find their place in the world, someone who wishes for peace above all else. The only time he ever found that was when he was with you, and that is why he is fighting so hard to get that back. Believe it or not, Zeref would sacrifice anything to return to the time when you and Al trusted him without reservation, when you were willing to lay down your lives to save him." she insisted.

Ed watched Zeref with a frown on his face, no longer glaring as he grew thoughtful over his missing memories once more. Did he truly value Zeref that much, to be willing to sacrifice his life for Zeref's? It was possible, but he didn't quite feel that way right now. "Well, either way, it doesn't change the fact that Al and I found other things to fight for. After we…lost our bodies, we joined the military. We wanted their resources to be able to study alchemy, to find a way to go back to the way we used to be. That was all we ever wanted then, but instead, we found ourselves dragged into a massive war, against creatures that couldn't even be called human." Ed stated, sighing as he stared at the ground below. "They used philosopher's stones as well, just like I wanted to do to get our bodies back. I guess I can't really be one to judge Zeref, when I nearly made the same mistake he did. The main difference between us is that I stopped when I learned what it would take to make a stone, but in the end, we still both refused to use such a dark object for our own gain."

Mavis nodded, patting Ed's arm with a slight smile on her face. "I'm glad you made it through all of that okay. I know Zeref will find a way to get your memories back, Ed, so don't you worry a day longer about not knowing who we are. Even if you never see those memories again, I know Zeref will still treat you as the child that once promised to do everything in his power to save him from his curse." she insisted, gazing at Zeref with a fond look on her face. Staring at the former wizard, Ed began to wonder just what this curse had been. He had heard it mentioned before, but it must have been terrible to make him behave this way. Maybe it wouldn't be so hard to move past Zeref's actions with the philosopher's stone. If it made the guy happy again and helped him remember that life did have meaning, it would be worth it in the end to smile and act as if he was still ignorant of all the lives Zeref had sacrificed long ago.

 **Time to celebrate the end of classes with a random spurt of updates to my stories! I hope you all enjoy, feel free to review and tell me what you think.**


	10. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fullmetal Alchemist or Fairy Tail

It was taking Lisanna far too long to learn that stupid spell, longer than Ed had the patience to wait for. That was why he had moved on from watching her lessons with Zeref, instead wandering around Magnolia in boredom, focused on his own issues for a moment. He wished he could talk with Al or Zeref about it for a moment, to at least have someone to bounce ideas off of during his thoughts. Those two understood alchemy like he did, so they could help come up with some kind of a plan to regain his memories.

Ed walked past the magic shop in the process of being repaired as he frowned, still stuck on the main dilemma he had. Even with something to trade for those memories, he could not get back to the Gate without alchemy. Maybe Al could do the transmutation back at home, but that would mean dragging his brother back into the place that had stolen their bodies away. He didn't want to risk it with Al, not after all of the effort they put into retrieving what they had lost. That meant that Ed couldn't ask his brother for help, so he was stuck without a way back into that place.

Zeref might be willing to help, Ed reasoned, but even if Zeref did so, the price for passage would be greater than usual. With the need to pay for two people to pass through the Gate, Ed would have to come up with something big to use to pay the toll. It wasn't like he could trade away his alchemy again, that was already gone, and he still refused to even consider a philosopher's stone as the payment. Glancing at his arm, the one that used to be automail, Ed sighed, wondering if he would have to pay with his limbs once more for his memories. Either way, he would be missing a part of himself, it was just a question of which part.

Ed made a turn down a new street, folding his arms behind his head as he paused for a moment. Now, he was standing right in front of that guild from before, Fairy Tail. He still didn't quite understand much about this country, where magic existed and was a part of everyone's daily lives. These guilds seemed to be places where wizards stuck together, and for some reason, Ed was a part of one before he had even come to this country. He glanced down at the back of his hand, seeing the black mark on his skin that told others he was a member of this guild. Maybe he could stop here for a bit, see if anyone inside knew anything about alchemy. It might help him think for a bit on the subject, just having someone to talk to about it.

With a sigh, Ed pushed the doors open, staring inside with a look of boredom. Mira was still behind the counter, washing off an empty glass as she smiled at the guild master, sitting on the bar's counter. Looking around the guild, Ed could see other members sitting together as well. Cana was at a table with a barrel of beer, something Ed could not fathom drinking all by himself. The girl was trying to give some to Lucy, who was backing away and moving to join Natsu and Gray. Those two looked like they were about to begin a fight, glaring at each other before Erza gave them a harsh look, preventing any more arguments between them as they sat back down at their table. Next to them was a younger girl, with long blue hair and a white cat by her side. Ed thought he had seen her before, that someone had called her Wanda or something like that. No wait, Wendy. That was what they called her! He grinned as he figured that name out, pleased that he could at least remember something around here.

Deciding that he wanted to avoid the drinking party Cana was starting, Ed moved towards the other group gathered in the guild, watching as they all frowned at his approach. The pink haired man stood up, pointing at Ed with a grin on his face. "Hey, you're the guy that stopped us from doing our hundred year job!" he declared, stepping forward and away from the table. Ed didn't know where he was going with this, but it became a bit clearer when flames began dancing in the boy's fists. "Alright then, you seemed pretty strong before, so I wanna fight you! I'm getting all fired up!" he shouted.

Ed sighed, shaking his head at the boy in irritation. This was going to be a waste of his time, it seemed, with crazy people like this around. It still didn't stop Natsu from charging forward, his fist raised to slam into Ed's head. The ex-alchemist raised his arm, rocks breaking through the floorboards of the guild as he moved to defend himself. "Rock Wall!" he shouted, watching as Natsu slammed his fist into hard stones instead of Ed's body. It didn't take long for the boy to frown at the appearance of Ed's solid wall, just high enough to shield his body while Natsu grinned even wider.

"Alright, that's more like it. Looks like you are a wizard after all, that just makes this more interesting!" Natsu insisted. He moved forward to attack once more, but this time Erza grabbed him by the scarf, yanking him back towards the table with a glare.

"Enough, this is not the place to be starting pointless fights. Edward came here for a reason, and we will hear what he has to say." she declared, making the dragon slayer nod in agreement, looking terrified at the idea of standing up against her.

Ed gave the girl a nod of gratitude, glad that at least one person here could calm down enough to focus on work for a moment. "Yeah, I guess I did." he stated, glancing at them uncomfortably as he debated how much to say. In the end, he decided he would figure out what they knew first, and work with that. "Tell me, have any of you ever heard of alchemy?"

"Alchemy is a load of crap, it isn't real. All that turning lead into gold nonsense is impossible, you're better off just focusing on magic." Gray insisted, his arms folded across his chest.

Ed frowned at the boy, staring at his bare chest and wondering just what had happened to the guy's shirt since they began talking. "Alchemy is science, you stripping idiot! Put a shirt on and stop saying crap like that." he insisted, sitting down at the table with them in a huff. Even if he couldn't use it himself, Ed still put a lot of faith in alchemy. It caused problems and pain around the world, but to many ordinary people, it was still a helpful tool to use. Being able to repair things simply by drawing a circle optimized their time and allowed people to focus on enjoying their daily lives.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think we've heard of it around here. Alchemy is nothing more than a myth from what I've been told." Wendy commented, sounding a bit nervous as she spoke.

Ed wanted to yell at her too, but seeing the way she gazed away from him, looking somewhat afraid and worried, made him halt his initial comeback. Instead, he turned away, uncomfortable with the idea of yelling at a kid. "Well, just because it doesn't exist around here doesn't mean it isn't real." Ed stated at last, sighing and focusing back on the others around him. "I guess that means you can't help me. That's all I really wanted to know." he added, getting up and preparing to leave. Even if it was boring, he would at least have peace and quiet if he returned to the alley where Lisanna was practicing with Zeref and Mavis.

"Hold on a second." Lucy stated, grabbing his arm and focusing on Ed's golden eyes. "You can't just come in here and ask for our help, then refuse to even bother explaining what you need help with. If this alchemy stuff is really something you want to learn, then we'll help you find a place to learn it." she insisted. "That's what we do for members of our guild, we work together as a family and always fight to keep each other safe."

Ed yanked his arm free from her grip, glaring at the blond in annoyance. "Yeah, so what? I already know plenty about alchemy, I need to discuss things with others who know it too. I've got an issue….I just need to know what payment to make for the trade…." he stated, trailing off with a sight. "Either way, you wouldn't understand because you don't even know the basics behind alchemy, let alone the complex nature of what I'm attempting to do."

"Then explain it to us." Erza stated from the table, calmly watching them as she leaned forward. "We are your fellow guild members, it is about time we finally had a chat about what this guild can truly do for you. Wizards from all over the world come to guilds to find work. This job of yours sounds quite intriguing, and even if you cannot offer us a reward, we will not dishonor Fairy Tail's name by refusing to take it." she insisted.

Ed didn't quite get what she was saying, but he understood that it meant he didn't have much of a choice. This girl wanted to know what he needed help with, and she was going to do so without argument. With a sigh, he sat back down in the empty chair by them again, folding his arms on the table in front of him as he focused on the wooden surface. "Alright, I guess I'll begin with the basic explanation of alchemy to you. It is the art of deconstructing and reconstructing matter, using your own understanding of the world around you and the energy of a circle to alter the physical world." he began.

Ed wondered just how far to go with them, but he knew he would have to go in depth to get help with human transmutation. "In alchemy, there is one fundamental law that must always be followed, the Law of Equivalent Exchange. Basically, you can't make something without giving something in return, something of equal value. So, take this wall behind me." Ed commented, gesturing to the wall he had made to defend himself from Natsu's earlier attack. "I could make this with alchemy, but only if there was stone nearby to use as material for the wall. I would have to break apart the initial components of the ground and reform it into the shape I desired, thus making a wall of stone."

Natsu was frowning at the table, doing his best to keep up with Ed's explanation. Gray was still focused, his arms over his chest as he leaned back in his chair. "So, alchemy's a lot like magic, then. It seems rather pointless to me, when it takes more to use alchemy than it does to use magic." he insisted.

"Yeah, that's what I don't get. Why would you even use this alchemy stuff when magic is so much easier?" Natsu asked.

Ed sighed, shaking his head at them slightly. This was something he was slowly understanding better, the differences between alchemy and magic. "It was all that we knew back in Amestris. Plus, alchemy and magic are two different things. Alchemy manipulates matter, while from what I understand, magic manipulates energy. This ethernano your body absorbs, it sounds a lot like energy and it feels like it too when you are about to unleash it. That is what fuels magic, while alchemy is fueled by the energy of the earth and the matter that is already around you." Ed stated, attempting to reason the difference between the two.

Erza was nodding, focused on this job she had accepted rather than random questions about the subject of alchemy. "I see, so tell me, just what is it that concerns you about alchemy?" she asked.

Ed hesitated, unsure of how to explain this part. This was the darkest part of his past, something he only shared with the people he knew best. These people were practically strangers to him, but Ed had no one else to turn to for help and this wasn't something he could handle alone. "That's hard to explain." he stated, sighing as he pulled his leg up, resting it on the table. The others leaned back, frowning in confusion as to why Ed was doing this, until he pulled up his pant leg and revealed the shiny metal underneath.

"Oh….that's….." Lucy stated, sounding too horrified for words at the sight of his automail leg. Erza's eyes were wide, as were Gray's at the sight of such a fake limb. Wendy's hand touched it gently, running along the smooth surface with a look of concern. Natsu didn't seem unaffected, but he was doing his best to pretend that he didn't care about Ed's injury.

Ed focused on the group in front of him, pulling his leg back and shoving it under the table before anyone else saw it. "You see, there is a taboo in alchemy, something that must never be done no matter how much you wish to change things. I broke that rule, and this was part of the price I paid." Ed insisted, patting his leg as the others grew curious, wondering just what he had done. He could see it in their eyes, the mixture of pity and curiosity that most got when they learned he had committed this taboo.

"I managed to get some of it back, regaining the arm I had lost by trading away my ability to perform alchemy." Ed stated, touching the arm that was now flesh, watching their gazes flicker over to the scar on his shoulder. "However, I still don't have back something else rather important to me, something that was taken that I never even knew was gone. I've lost my memory due to alchemy, and the only way to get it back is by going back to that bastard with something even bigger to trade in return for what I've lost."

"Back to who? If he's strong, I'll go with you and take him out!" Natsu insisted, sounding eager for a fight.

Ed glared at him, shaking his head. "That isn't the problem! You are talking about fighting god, and that is exactly what is going to get you in even more trouble than I'm in now." he insisted, watching as the boy frowned in confusion. "I tried to have the power of god, ever so briefly, and thus I had to pay. I attempted to bring the dead back to life, and that is something that I will always remember the price of."

Gray's eyes looked distant, sad but understanding of Ed's words. "That makes sense. So, what you're looking for is an object of some kind to use as an exchange for these memories of yours. What did you have in mind?" Gray was asking, while Ed frowned and stared at the table.

"Damn it, that's the problem! I don't have anything left to give away! Hell, last time I planned on it being the final encounter I had in that place, if I go back again, I'm likely going to lose more than just an arm or a leg. Who knows, maybe I'd end up like Al…." he questioned, trailing off with a slight shudder at the thought. Even hearing the way Al spoke about it, the way his brother had suffered in that suit of armor, Ed knew that it would be a terrible experience. Not being able to feel, not being able to sleep or eat, he would miss out on so much. That was if someone bound his soul to something in the physical world, instead of leaving it behind in that realm with god. Even if it was bound to the real world, Ed knew his time would be limited, his soul constantly drawn back to his real body beyond the Gate until one day, he would be trapped there anyway, never able to return.

The look on his face as he thought about this was rather disturbing to the others, but Lucy did her best to try and snap him out of it. Ed's thoughts were cut off when he felt her hand touch his, a look of worry on her face. "Don't worry, we'll figure it out together. Even if we don't, I'm sure you'll think of something to use in trade for your memories." she insisted.

Natsu sat up, grinning as if he had a brilliant idea. "Oh, I know! That stone from the job we didn't do, it's supposed to be really valuable. That can be your trade! We just have to go out and—" he began, but Ed punched the guy's face in anger for his suggestion, rising with a glare on his face.

The dragon slayer fell out of his chair, now sprawled out on the ground behind him as he frowned at Ed for the attack. "Don't even think about that! The philosopher's stone is made using human lives, I'm not going to use something like that no matter how much I suffer as a result." Ed insisted passionately, his hands clenched into fists as he glared at the ignorant dragon slayer on the ground.

Staring at this group of wizards, Ed decided he was better off without them. They would never understand his mindset, the way he had suffered before and how he had to do everything in his power to get back what he had lost. "You know what, this was a mistake. I'm better off on my own, where others won't get dragged down with me when things go wrong." he told them, turning to leave as Wendy moved to help Natsu get back up. This time, no one attempted to stop the ex-alchemist, but all of them were concerned for his well-being. Even if Fairy Tail didn't know how to help Edward Elric, they all understood having a dark past and they knew that it was better to deal with your problems together, rather than alone.

 **Sorry for the delay on the update. Right now, I've been putting most of my focus on Karma of Contradictions, another one of my stories about Fairy Tail. Either way, I got bored of focusing so much on that one and decided to take a break...hence the update here! I hope you enjoyed, feel free to review and tell me what you think!**


	11. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer** : I am not the owner of Fullmetal Alchemist or Fairy Tail

Three months longer was all it took for Lisanna to finally master the magic necessary to go back home. Ed was in the alley with them when it happened, having gotten used to her constantly just swinging that black key around with no success. Sure, he could feel the magical energy coming from her, but visibly, it was rather uninteresting to watch. That was why he was back to idly making shapes with his magic, creating statues with rock on the floor as she practiced with Zeref.

He still had refused to return to the guild after that day, angry with them for suggesting to use such a dark object. How could they have even considered it, when he told them before that the stone was evil? They knew his viewpoint on the stone, yet Natsu had carelessly insisted on finding and using one for the transmutation. It made Ed frustrated just thinking about it, making him glare at his statues and destroy them all with a wave of his hand.

Mavis was watching Ed with worry on her face, aware of his stress over getting his memory back. She had attempted to console him, insisting that Natsu was just a bit thick-headed at times, but it hadn't helped. He was homesick, and he wanted all of this to be done with so he could go back. That made him impatient to finish planning on how to regain his memory, and it also made him irritable with others around him.

Eventually, Mavis walked over to Ed, kneeling down next to where he was sitting on the ground. "Edward, everything will be alright in the end." she insisted, while he scowled at the ground in response. "Trust me, I have come up with a plan. We will get your memories back, I promise you that. In the end, it shouldn't be you who pays this price, not when the toll was for Zeref's passage. We have discussed it, and we both agree that we will handle this ourselves." she insisted.

Ed glared at her this time, not happy with this solution either. "This isn't your problem! I hate doing this, using other people just to get what I want! It's my fault I lost so much, that I gave up everything in a failed attempt to see my mother again. I should be the one paying the price, not my friends who are doing everything they can to help me get back home." he insisted.

Mavis smiled at him, surprising Ed when she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, hugging him close to her chest. He felt uncomfortable, wanting to pull away, but slowly he got used to it. For some reason, Mavis' presence reminded him of his mother. She was always smiling and encouraging Ed to keep going, no matter how much he struggled or how angry he got. She was so young in appearance, but her wisdom was that of someone much older, and she knew Ed better than almost anyone.

He felt her hand pat the back of his head gently, and he knew that if he looked up, her mouth would still be smiling even if her green eyes were closed. "Please, Edward, let us do this for you. Zeref wants to show you that he appreciates everything you wanted to do for him back then, even if you don't remember it. He wants to ensure that you remember who he is, that you still accept him despite his past. It's his wish too, you know, to see you back to the man you used to be. So, let him do this for you. Let him open the Gate, and trade with Truth on your behalf."

Ed nodded numbly, feeling exhausted suddenly as she stepped back, holding his shoulders and giving him a bright smile. "Besides, once this is all done with, we get to go on an adventure together! I can't wait to go to Amestris again. Oh, maybe I'll get to swim with dolphins on the way there, just like I did when leaving Tenrou Island all those years ago!" she said cheerfully, making Edward blink at her. She sounded like she was planning on going with him back home. Maybe she was, but he didn't know how to react to that. Thinking about Zeref and Mavis, he realized they didn't have much of a home here anymore. Fairy Tail had so much old hatred for Zeref that he couldn't stay here, and while Mavis was loved by her guild, she wouldn't want to leave his side.

Amestris could be a place for them to rest for once, and it made Ed smile to know that they would be nearby if he ever wanted to visit them again. That was what he had been thinking about when he heard Lisanna's shriek of surprise, making his gaze turn towards her with wide eyes. In front of her was a swirling vortex of magic, looking like a mixture of blacks and whites that spun throughout the air. Ed didn't know what to call it, it wasn't really fitting to describe it as an object when he saw the light dancing within, making it seem more like a tunnel rather than a simple circle. "I did it! Zeref, I finally did it!" she cheered, turning towards Zeref with a huge grin on her face.

Zeref nodded, giving her a small smile as he focused on the portal himself. "Indeed, it seems you have found the necessary means to return to your world. It has been a pleasure working with you, Lisanna, I do hope you find happiness back in your world." he insisted.

Lisanna nodded, smiling at him as she turned towards Ed, walking closer to him. "Hey, it looks like I've got to get going now. Sorry for the whole imprisoning you in Fiore thing, I guess that got a little out of hand." she said awkwardly, holding her hand out to him.

Ed gave her a slight smile, taking her hand and shaking it as she prepared to leave. "Yeah, that was pretty stupid of you to do." he stated calmly, watching as she frowned at his words. Ed sighed, rubbing the back of his head as he looked upwards at the blue sky, clear with hints of sunlight gazing down on them in the alley. "Still, I'm going to miss you, you crazy witch. Don't go getting yourself killed over there, I still have to get my revenge on you for forcing me to help you with this crappy mission of yours!" he insisted, doing his best to put some fake anger into his voice.

It didn't fool Lisanna though, who gave him a smile and decided that a simple handshake was not enough. Ed grimaced as she hugged him, feeling awkward as the girl leaned down to be able to do such a thing and wrap her arms around his back. "I'm going to miss you, too." she stated, moving towards the gate she had made. As she moved to step through, she gave Ed a slight smirk. "Make sure you get taller before I see you again, I don't want to have to keep staring down at a little midget when you come to see me again!" she shouted, while Edward glared at her in anger, this time truly upset with her words.

"Who are you calling smaller than the tiniest speck of ethernano in the air?" he shouted, charging forward with his fists raised. Al and Winry weren't here to stop him, but the vanishing portal definitely did, leaving him charging forward towards a pile of broken boxes in the alley. Ed stumbled over them, tripping and falling on his face with a scowl, hearing the laughter of Mavis and even Zeref echoing behind him.

Ed glared back at them, rolling over onto his back so he could face the two of them as he sat up. "Shut up, you bastards! This isn't funny!" he complained, only making Mavis laugh harder as Zeref smiled by her side. His amusement faded far quicker than hers, it seemed, but Ed could see that he was happy here.

"So, it would appear that it is just us once more." Zeref stated, walking closer towards Edward as his smile began to fade away. "I understand that you had planned on paying this toll yourself, however, it is my turn to sacrifice something for you." Zeref insisted, leaning down towards the ground and picking up one of the rocks.

Ed's own anger faded and turned into a simple frown as Zeref began drawing a circle on the ground, specifically, a human transmutation circle. "Are you sure you want to do this? There'll be no going back, Zeref. I can't promise that you won't lose something more than you intend on paying." Ed asked, still worried for his friend.

Zeref turned towards Ed, giving the boy a smile as he nodded in agreement. "Yes, I am sure." he stated softly, drawing one of the alchemic symbols for the circle as he spoke. "I have spent years trying to find a method to bring these memories back for you, going down many dark paths. I have found one way now of doing so that harms no one but myself, and if that is all that is required, I will gladly pay that toll to have the two of you back in my life." Zeref stated, gazing over at Ed who nodded in agreement.

"Alright then, I won't stop you. However, if you do something stupid over there, I promise I'm going to find a way to get to you and kill you again, Zeref." Ed insisted, making the former wizard's smile widen, amused with Ed's promise.

Mavis stood by Ed's side as he backed away from Zeref's circle, both of them at the edge of the alley. Zeref was still finishing his circle when Ed was sent stumbling forward by someone running directly into his back, making him glare at the person responsible. "Ha, there you are! I knew I'd be able to smell you out in this town here." a familiar pink-haired dragon slayer stated, grinning over at him.

By his side were the rest of his group from Fairy Tail, all of them smiling over at Ed who was not too pleased to see them getting involved right now. "What do you think you are doing? I told you before, I don't need your help!" Ed insisted, glaring at them.

Lucy smiled at him, sighing in irritation. "Why are we even helping this idiot? Honestly, he has no sense of manners and can't even say thank you when people try and do him a favor." she insisted.

Ed glared at her, while Gray crossed his arms over his chest, focusing a glare on Zeref who was standing deeper in the alley, frowning at the commotion before him. "So, you're asking Zeref for help. I guess I better stick around to make sure he doesn't go berserk again, you have no idea what that guy is capable of." he insisted.

"I just thought you could use some help. You seemed so sad and lonely back at the guild…I'm sorry if I'm not strong enough to really be of much use to you." Wendy stated uncomfortable, once again, making Ed unsure of how to react. Yes, he was annoyed that they wouldn't leave him alone, but once again, it was just a little girl and she had a big heart. He couldn't do anything to upset her even further, and it frustrated him to no end.

He sighed, glancing at Mavis who was only smiling over at the others. "Look, Fairy Tail's strongest team is here to witness the return of your memories. Isn't this so exciting, Edward?" she asked, while he groaned in irritation. How could she not see that he did not want them here?

"Indeed, it appears we arrived at an interesting moment. Tell me, just what is he working on over there?" Erza demanded, pointing towards Zeref who now stood in the center of a completed human transmutation circle.

Ed glanced over at Zeref, deciding that he didn't have time to waste on sending these wizards back home. "I suggest you stay where you are, because that's a human transmutation circle." Ed stated, frowning as he focused on Zeref who nodded and moved towards the outer edge. "You are about to become one of the few people alive who have seen this type of alchemy performed, consider yourselves lucky." he said after another moment, watching as the wizards grew interested, focused on the circle before them. Wendy struggled to squeeze herself towards the front, pushing past Ed so she could watch as Zeref clapped his hands together, before pressing them onto the edge of the circle.

This wasn't an experience anyone could forget, if they had gone through it before, but for the wizards around him, it was an entirely new sight. Seeing blue lightning dance along the lines of the circle, everything seeming fine at first as the transmutation began. That was before everything went wrong, the circle turning dark as black shadows grew out of the ground, taking the form of hands that reached upward towards Zeref. Ed remembered screaming when he first went through this, and he was surprised to see that Zeref did not react at all to them, simply gazing at the hands calmly as they wrapped around his body and pulled him towards the center.

Ed felt Mavis grab his hand, making him turn away from the circle for just a few moments to see her expression. She looked concerned, her body rigid as she stared into the circle over where Zeref should be. At this point, his body had vanished into the gate, gone from their sight as he traveled to whatever world Truth existed in. "He has to be okay, we had a plan." Mavis insisted quietly, her hand clutching Ed's tightly.

Ed could see that her worry was because of Zeref, that she had seen him do this before. "Hey, it's not going to be like it was back then." Ed stated, focusing in front of them. Mavis glanced up at his face, looking interested in his words. "None of us knew what to expect when we were kids, just stumbling around with alchemy and not understanding how impossible our wish was to grant. Zeref is different, he knows the dangers of that place and he wouldn't have gone unprepared."

Mavis nodded, taking his words well as she took a deep breath and glanced away. Her grip loosened ever so slightly, but she still did not release his hand. "Right, Zeref will return to us. He promised he would, I cannot forget that." she insisted.

"Uh, I hate to interrupt, but what the hell was that?" Gray demanded from behind Ed, making the former alchemist sigh.

"I told you, human transmutation! That's forbidden alchemy, if you do something stupid like this yourself, you're gonna end up like me, or maybe even worse." Ed insisted.

The others looked worried as well, even Natsu who had suffered more from Zeref than the others. "Really? Then why would Zeref….is he going to be okay?" Lucy asked after a few moments, hesitating to show worry over their former enemy.

Ed nodded, focused on the spot Zeref had vanished from. He would be returning any moment now, Ed was sure of it. At least, that was what he was thinking when Ed suddenly felt weird, his vision growing blurry as he began to sway on his feet. Something was wrong, he couldn't see anything in front of him right now. He felt arms catch him as he fell, the arms of Mavis who was right by his side. She guided him to the ground and let him rest there, as his eyes closed and images danced within his mind. He could see it all, remember meeting Zeref in his basement so long ago. Ed remembered how he promised to help Zeref, to free the man from his curse. He remembered just what it did, and where it had come from as well.

When Ed opened his eyes again, he was frowning, blinking up at a clear blue sky. A bird flew over the buildings, visible for just a moment before it vanished from his line of sight once more. He had his memories back now, and he understood the real reason he had attempted human transmutation so long ago. Ed had wanted to meet a god, and he had succeeded, but Mavis' calculations proved to be correct. He couldn't end Zeref's curse that way, but based on his time here, it was clear that the man had found a way out on his own.

He sat up slowly, rubbing his forehead as he gazed around the alley in search of Zeref. "Zeref, where the hell are you?" Ed shouted, glancing around in confusion. Mavis was still by his side, looking worried. Surprisingly, Wendy was there too, her hands hovering over his chest with a frown on her face. Those hands of hers had been glowing too, a strange white light over them that left Ed wondering just what kind of magic she had been attempting to use.

"I would recommend resting, Edward. You collapsed suddenly in the alley, Wendy has yet to finish assessing your injuries." Erza told him, but Ed was just fine. He ignored her advice, standing up with a scowl as he finally spotted Zeref. He was sitting next to one of the houses, leaning back against it with his eyes closed, a slight smile on his face. It was a good sign, Ed thought, seeing that Zeref still had all of his limbs intact.

Ed moved towards him, seeing Mavis move far quicker. She ran towards Zeref, throwing herself onto his lap with a huge smile on her face. "Zeref, you're okay!" she cried, hugging him tightly while the former wizard sighed, stroking her hair gently as he focused on Edward.

"It seems as if your trade was quite educational. Alchemy is a powerful tool, and it is a heavy bargaining chip when need be." Zeref stated calmly, while Ed's eyes widened, realizing what he had done. Zeref made the same trade he had, giving up his Gate of Truth in order to obtain Ed's memories, and probably Al's as well.

"You idiot, I was supposed to break your curse." Ed stated, giving Zeref a small smile. "Now how am I supposed to keep that promise I made?" he asked, not expecting an answer.

Zeref stood, pulling Mavis up with him as he patted Ed's arm with a smile. "There was never any need to keep that promise, Edward. Simply seeing you happy again is all that I need, and I am glad that I could help you after everything you have done for me." he insisted.

Ed nodded, moving towards the wizards with a frown. That boy with them, Natsu, was Zeref's brother. Ed remembered that much, and he still didn't quite understand how Zeref had brought him back. "Hey, Natsu." Ed stated after a few moments, stopping as they walked passed the boy. "Don't go around foolishly wasting that life of yours, find something you care about and fight for it with everything you've got."

The pink haired wizard grinned at Ed, wrapping his arms around Lucy and Gray who were standing by his sides. "I've already found it, Ed. Fairy Tail is my family, and I'm not going to let anyone get away with hurting them." he insisted. Ed nodded, feeling Zeref's gaze on him as he turned to leave with them. Natsu's life had come with a high cost. Ed was glad to see that the boy was enjoying it to the fullest. Now, the source of his suffering would be going away, and Edward would be reunited with his entire family, not just Al and Winry, but also Mavis and Zeref who had done everything in their power to save him when he had no one else.

 **So, I'm trying to finish up this story, since it is really close to its end. As a result, I'm putting up two chapters tonight to finish it! Please review and let me know what you think!**


	12. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail or Fullmetal Alchemist

Ed realized just how beneficial it could be to be friends with the emperor of a massive nation. It took only moments for Zeref to get his hands on a boat, one which he began steering towards Amestris almost immediately, with Mavis and him on board. Unlike the ride to Fiore, this one was peaceful. The weather was beautiful, with a sunny sky where wispy clouds danced around sparsely, a light breeze blowing through the air keeping them cool in the unseasonably warm weather.

Waves rocked the boat gently, but Ed didn't mind. His focus was on his future, on seeing Al and Winry again for the first time in years. He knew that he had spoken to them over the lacrima a few months ago, but that wasn't the same as seeing them in person. On top of that, Al would have his magic back, now that he remembered Zeref too. All of them could live together again, just like they had before, and this time, there would be nothing to fear from Zeref.

Mavis was cheerful on the boat, wandering around from one side to the other as she focused on amazing sights in the water and on the horizon. When she saw a fish, she would immediately drag Ed over to the edge of the boat and point it out to him, a huge smile on her face. It would swim deeper into the water, and she would move elsewhere to find something else to look at, always searching for something new to admire in the water around her. It kept the trip somewhat entertaining, but Ed got a bit annoyed with her quickly.

Zeref remained silent the entire time, a smile on his face as he focused on sailing the boat towards Amestris. With it being in the center of a large landmass, Zeref had chosen a smaller ship that could travel down the rivers of Drachma and bring them in through the northern border of Amestris. Ed knew it would get chilly heading that direction, but it was their only option. Luckily, his automail was still built to withstand the cold weather of Briggs, so his leg would at least operate during their trip towards Central. From there, they would take a train back to Resemebool, where Ed would see his brother once more.

The trip itself ended up being uneventful, luckily with no issues crossing the border between Drachma and Amestris. Ed expected there to be some kind of defense there, much like the massive wall from Fort Briggs, but the river they had been on flowed around the northern border, down towards another country before entering Amestris. Zeref seemed to know where he was going quite well, and while Ed didn't know where Zeref learned so much about the geography of his homeland, he wasn't going to question Zeref's navigation skills.

When Ed finally arrived back in Resembool, he couldn't help but smile brightly at the small country town. The grass was tall and green, rustling underneath their footsteps as they moved towards the home that Al and Ed shared with Winry. It was rebuilt on top of the spot where he had burnt down his first home, redesigned to be larger for all of them to stay together.

Zeref stared at it with a look of contentment, taking in a deep breath as he stood in front of the home. "It has been quite some time since I was last here. Last time, I simply walked in without permission in an attempt to stop you before it was too late." Zeref stated, gazing at the house. "It has changed since then, though I suppose that is to be expected since it has been years since my last visit."

Ed nodded, walking up to the door with Mavis standing behind him, next to Zeref. He pushed the door open, gazing around at the wooden floor as he began letting the others in. "Winry, Al, I'm home!" he called out, hoping to see them soon.

As Edward waited for Winry and Al to come down from upstairs, Zeref and Winry walked deeper into the house. The first thing that could be seen when entering was the living room. It was fairly small, with a couch to sit on and a coffee table directly in front of it with books scattered across the surface. Some notes had been jotted down on a paper near the books, a pen still resting on the page as Ed recognized Al's handwriting. To the left of the room was a staircase that lead to the bedrooms, one that was shared by Ed and Al, one for Winry, and a third that was used as a guest room. On rare occasions, Pinako would stay the night with them, mostly to keep an eye on Winry.

It felt good to be back, Ed decided, as he set his bags down on the floor and smiled at the room. He hadn't brought much with him on his trip, but he still wasn't going to leave his clothes and research notes behind in Fiore. Luckily, they had survived the boat ride here, not getting too wet during their time overseas. A little smearing of the ink was visible, Ed noted as he pulled them out, but nothing too illegible.

Zeref set the pages down next to Al's notes, picking up his brother's comments instead to read as he sat on the couch. He paid little attention to Zeref and Mavis who had moved closer to the walls, observing a few sparse photos that were hanging up there. One was a picture of Ed and Al as children, framed with their mother smiling behind them. Next to that was a picture of Ed and Winry, both of them grinning during the time Ed had prepared for his trip away from Amestris to study alchemy and the struggles the world faced as a result of the science. Zeref and Mavis were both admiring the pictures, smiling as they whispered to each other quietly attempting not to disturb Edward who had focused intently on the paper in his grip.

It didn't look like Al had seen much either during his travels. Alchemy was a problem central to Amestris, and its closest neighboring nations. Other countries didn't use it for military strength and the further you got from Amestris, the less likely it appeared they would be to find anyone who knew of the science. "Man, looks like all that time was for nothing." Ed commented, setting the papers down and leaning back in his chair. They hadn't gotten to help much of anyone, but at least Al would have gained something else. He was supposed to learn alkahestry from Mei when he passed through Xing. From what he could see, Al's notes included comments on Alkahestry, and how it was even rarer than alchemy was in other nations.

His gaze flickered upward at the sound of footsteps pounding on the stairs nearby, moving quickly as two people stumbled down in their rush towards the living room. Winry arrived first, with Al not far behind her, both of them stopping and staring at the sight of Ed sitting in the living room, with Zeref and Mavis standing by the photos on the wall. "Brother! You've finally returned, and you brought them with you too. Zeref, it's good to see you again." Al stated, smiling over at the former wizard.

He nodded, a smile on his face as he focused on Al. "Indeed, it has been quite some time. I assure you, I will not bring you the danger I once did. My magic has long since faded from my body, and without it, my curse no longer exists." he insisted.

Ed stared at him, only now figuring out just how his curse had vanished. It was based on magic, so when he traded away his magic and immortality for a second chance at life, Zeref lost that curse as did Mavis. "That's how that worked. Man, I guess you're the only person here who has actually benefited from that bastard's messed up games." Ed insisted, shaking his head as the black wizard frowned.

"No, I would have to disagree." Zeref stated at last. "Perhaps I have lost my curse, but it came after I lost everything else dear to me. Forgetting the value of life….it was something I had feared when I first met you and your brother, and for good reason." Zeref stated, glancing away. "My own brother cannot even stand to be in the same room as me anymore, and I no longer have a place to call home. While I have recovered a chance at a normal life, I have a long ways to go before I can truly call it a happy way of living." he insisted.

Mavis smiled at Zeref, patting his arm as she stepped closer to him. "Don't worry, we'll figure it out together! Besides, now that we've got Ed and Al's memories back, we have people here that are like family to us, right?" she asked, smiling over at the people in the room.

Winry smiled over at them, nodding in agreement. "Right." she said, before Zeref could reply. He turned towards her, looking mildly surprised at her agreement as she focused her gaze on them. "Whenever you need someone to lean on, you can always count on us. It's the least we can do, after everything you did for Ed and Al when they were little." she insisted, while Al nodded in agreement.

Zeref smiled, moving over and joining Ed on the couch as he leaned back, his eyes closing as he rested. "Thank you, Winry. I do believe I may have finally found a place where I can be at peace….I did not think I would find such a thing in this world." he insisted.

Ed smiled over at him, glad that the guy had finally seen that there were other ways to move on with his life. He knew that Zeref still had a long way to go before he was truly happy, but this was a good start. Together, they had created a strange family here, and with the help of Ed and Al, Zeref would finally recover from his time under the curse of contradictions and his war with Fairy Tail. At the same time, this was a far better way for Al and Ed to cope with coming back from their battle against Father and the other homunculus. All of them would have a brighter future with each other, and that was all any of them could hope for as they moved forward with their lives.

 **And here it is! The last chapter of this story. I hope you all enjoyed the sequel, with a much happier ending than the original. Reviews are always appreciated, feel free to let me know what you think!**


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